Three Men, Three Problems
by Wherever Girl
Summary: Danny, Jimmy, and Rudy are all grown up... and adulthood is tougher than they wanted it to be.
1. Diary of a Rebel

I'd like to start out by saying that old habits die hard. In other words… I am starting yet ANOTHER fic, even though I just started writing TWO OTHER ONES, and am in the process of REWRITING A FEW OTHERS! NI! …I have a problem.

ANYWAY, this fic is more of an "in-between-quel" of another fic I'm working on. I hope that you read, enjoy, and do NOT call the rehab for write-aholics like me.

0o0o0o0o0

**Diary of an Outcast**

I was born in the ghetto, where I was forced to take care of myself after my world shattered after I turned seven. From that point on, I refused to trust anybody, respect nobody, and shun everybody.

Then I went to prison. It wasn't like any other prison… it was more like a prison for supernatural creeps. That's where I learned the hard way that a smart mouth can really get you into deep shit.

It's also the place where I met only two people I could trust… though, a few days later, one of them passed on. They were already dead, so it's no big deal. The other guy took some time, though.

Then we broke out, which wasn't as easy as planned, and met some other guys with problems of their own, only to run into more douche-bags. One big life-changing, back-breaking, agonizing, annoying trip later, our problems are solved.

…At least, that's what we thought. Turns out four years later another psycho decided to give us hell, driving us to a place that I still don't believe exists, where we found out a bunch of secrets, had to save the world, and yadda yadda yadda.

The only difference was that in the end, our problems weren't completely unsolved. …At least, mine wasn't. I thought I could never be any less of an outcast than I was before…

Then I got wolf-ears. And a tail.

Both were a pain in the ass to keep hidden. I knew that if anyone else, other than my closest friends, ever saw my mutations, all hell would break loose and no doubt people would label me as a freakin' "Inuyasha" impersonator. (though, that anime guy never had a tail, lucky son of a bitch).

How did I get wolf ears and a tail? I got bit by a werewolf, then bit by a half-werewolf, and la dee frickin' da, I'm a freak.

I wanted to use this as an excuse to skip school… but I wasn't going to make that mistake, and wind up nowhere again. For my late-mother's sake, and for my foster-dad's sake, I continued my education… though I had to hide my ears and tail well, coming up with the excuse that I had a bad scalp condition and couldn't take off my hat for any reason. I also managed to skip gym classes, so my tail wouldn't show through those pathetic shorts they made everyone else wear.

Some kids tried to yank my hat off, resulting in me throwing on a wig underneath, which had some black, shedding marks on it (whipped it up, myself), and I told the kid the condition was contagious, throwing a bit of "black dandruff" at him. From that point on, no one tried to pull my hat off… though I did flunk gym class and ended up taking summer school for it. Dammit.

Then came graduation, where I did the dumbest thing I could think of.

You see, when I was growing up on the streets, I never thought that I would go to school and graduate, like what my mom had planned before she died. So, as I walked down that line and received my diploma, I felt as if, for the first time in my life, I actually did something right, something that would make everyone proud of me and see me as a whole new person, and when everyone else threw their hats into the air, I had to join in…

Well, everyone saw me as a different person… but for a whole different reason.

The next thing I knew, Silver, Radio and I were packing up our bags to leave town, before the paparazzi surrounded our house. "How long will you be gone?" Rudy Homes asked me, as he and Danny Charmm stood in my room.

"For a while. God knows how long it'll take everyone to forget that they saw a kid with wolf-ears." I replied, stuffing my clothes into my suitcase.

"What if we just told everyone they were fakes? A joke you decided to pull?" Danny suggested.

"Too late for that." Radio said. "Someone had already pulled on his ears, and noticed how well-attached they were."

"So, where are you going to go?" Rudy asked.

"The only place where we can lay low without suspicion." Silver said, entering the room and holding up a gold coin. "Fairytale Land."

"You've GOT to be shitting me." I sneered. I honestly would have preferred hiding in an old, worn-out beach shack, like how I used to, than go back to that horrific, mind-numbing land of enchantment.

"It's either there, or to a science lab. And I hardly think that you would want some nerd trying to dissect your head,"

I hated it when Silver had a point. "How long are we going to stay there?"

"Just until this whole scenario becomes old news… which may take a while," Silver then turned to Danny and Rudy. "You two stay behind, and contact us to tell us if anything changes. Keep an eye on the place too- I didn't buy this house just to abandon it,"

"Yes, Silver." Danny said with a nod.

"We'll leave late at night, when no one is awake. That's probably going to be the only private-time we have to make it to the train-station, unsighted." Radio said, packing her bag.

"Hold it, Radio! Why are you going?" I scoffed. "No one saw your cat-ears, or anything!"

Radio was sort of like me… only more of a Furry. …A Furry Princess, actually. Every time she got excited, her cat-ears would show, and if she were to be kissed, she would turn into a cat… which made it hard for us to keep up a relationship, but hey, no couple's perfect-

Yeah, I'm dating a cat-girl! You got a problem with it, then you can stick it up your ass.

"It's not my species, James," Radio said, solemnly. "It's the mystery behind it. If there's one place where I can find answers about my family and this unnamed royal family I was to be betrothed to, it would be Fairytale Land."

Radio was under a curse, just to fill you in. I'll tell you more later.

Silver and I both exchanged a look. Radio had been looking for answers all year, keeping in contact with our detective-friend, Izzy, but nothing came up, and she was determined to solve the mystery. …And neither of us wanted to give her a reason to give up.

"Alright, then." Silver said.

When 3 AM came around that night, we said goodbye to Rudy and Danny, and set off to Fairytale Land, not knowing how long it would be until we saw our friends again.

Not knowing… until three years later.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: So, what do you guys, think? It may be a while before my next update, since I have so many other things to work on, so please don't get your hopes down if I don't update for a few days.

Just review, don't flame, and have a nice day.


	2. Memoirs of a Prince

Now for another chapter. …Surprising that I'm updating this quick, isn't it? Well, the main reason is that we're having a Rodeo next week, and it's gonna be a big event that will be taking up most of my time, so I want to get as much done as possible. …So enjoy my pace while you can!

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Elizabeth: **(I love it when I take my readers by surprise) XD I figured you'd like the "Tokyo Mew-Mew" reference. (I may throw in a bit of "Princess Tutu" as well, since it closely resembles a fairytale). As to what happened… you shall either find out in THIS story, or the OTHER one… I can't decide which :p

**Polar Purple: **Breathe, dude. Breeeeaaaathe. So glad to have gotten your attention, and that you like the JimmyxRadio pairing! :D

0o0o0o0o0o0

**Memoirs of a Prince**

Long ago, there was a young prince, who lived in a large, beautiful castle with his loving parents. Although he always got what he wanted, was always provided for, and would one day rule the land, he wanted one thing not many young monarchs would want…

To be normal.

Growing up in a kingdom was not easy, and he never felt he had any freedom. He always had to attend certain classes every hour of the day, guards were always with him to make sure nothing happened to him, and he was always stuck in the castle, never allowed to visit the world beyond the palace wall, for his parents felt there were too many dangers lurking about. This angered the prince, and one day he decided to run away and be like a normal kid, just for one day.

That was the day he realized his parents were right, for a madman had shot them dead and blew up the castle, while the young prince managed to get away. The madman pursued, stopping at nothing to make sure the young heir was disposed of, so he could rule the kingdom.

The Lord above was undoubtedly watching over him, for He had put two friends in the prince's path to help guide him through his troubling quest. One was an ordinary boy, and the other was a talking cat- who later turned out to be a princess who had been cast under a spell.

The prince had gotten his share of wishes that day: he got help AND he got to live like a regular teenager. He dressed like one, he hung out like one, he… made a couple mistakes, which he was not proud of… and he had finally made real friends, vowing to never abandon them, as they had never abandoned him.

The madman struck again, however, trying to get rid of the prince and one of his comrades, trying to drown them in the river, but the Lord was on their side and they survived… and ended up encountering a cursed werewolf, a rebel, a vampire, and a little ghost, all who became allies of his, and together they brought down the madman, freed Radio and the werewolf of their curses.

Yet their tale did not end there, for an evil sorcerer came along and put a curse on Rudy's family, and sent their re-changed werewolf friend after them. Luckily, thanks to the former-vampire who had been changed into a cat, they managed to escape, arriving in an enchanted land, where not only did they meet new friends, but where the prince also found out he had a long-lost family, finding someone who could take the thrown and help prepare him for when his time to rule came. But, that was not all the young prince had found during his second frightening adventure…

He had also found love.

…Oh, so he believed. He had fallen in love with one of his friends, yet his feelings kept shifting.

Why? Well, for one thing, his friend was a boy. And the prince had a thing for girls. He was unable to choose who to be with, for his heart ached for both, and he was afraid of making the wrong decision. He kept thinking about his late-parents, what they would think if he fell in love with a boy, and how his friend would react if he told him he wanted to be with a girl and have a natural relationship. His horrifying adventures had come to an end, but one problem remained for the prince.

That young prince just happened to be me, Danny Charmm.

And the day I spoke of my feelings was possibly the most heart-breaking event I had ever gone through. It was during our last year of high-school, when we went to prom with Jimmy and Radio… and Rudy asked if I wanted to dance. I was nervous, knowing that he believed we were a couple because of how close we had become, and I wanted to tell him that I just wanted to remain friends, yet I was not sure how to break the news to him…

I didn't have to, though, because he read my expression, seeing my face blush. He nodded, saying he understood, and walked away…

At school a couple days later, I heard a couple boys talking about hearing sobbing coming from one of the bathroom stalls, and my guilt settled in my stomach.

That was when I made a new vow: Clarify my feelings with Rudy before I became king.

…Yet I never found a chance, because after that night, Rudy and I had grown apart.

Too far apart, it felt.

The last time we got close was after we faced a bit of a scenario at our graduation…

It was the night after graduation. Jimmy, Silver, and Radio had left to go undercover, after Jimmy revealed his wolf-ears (real smooth, I should say sarcastically), and Rudy and I decided to watch over the house to make sure no reporters tried to break in. It felt awkward, with it just being the two of us, and I couldn't help but wonder if our friendship would get back on track.

We sat in the living room, watching television. It was 4 AM, but neither of us wanted to sleep. After all, it was our last night together, before my aunt, Red Rose, and I went back to our kingdom, where I would once again face the age-old routine of taking classes and learning how to be a proper monarch. …I wasn't exactly too eager about it.

"It just… feels so weird," Rudy said quietly, staring at the television. "Four years ago, we were complete strangers, none of us knowing that the rest of us existed… that _anything _we've seen existed. Now, it feels as if things are going back to the way they were before,"

I only sat and listened.

"Jimmy's going off in hiding, Radio's basically a cat again almost, you're going off to live in a castle, and I'll still be here- I'll be looking into some colleges, but I'll still be here." he sighed. "It almost feels… as if… time is in reverse, as if our lives are starting all over again, beginning at the point where we never met yet." he then turned to me, his eyes filled with sorrow, yet no tears seemed to be showing. "We'll see one another again someday, won't we?"

I could only shrug. Fate had brought us together before… but sometimes it causes us to separate for reasons unknown. "Hopefully," I replied, quietly. I looked into his emerald-green eyes, seeing my reflection… seeing how there was no sign of emotion on my face, perhaps because all my emotions were welling up inside of me. "I couldn't live without seeing you again,"

He only stared at me a moment, then began to lean close, closing his eyes slightly, as if he were about to…

He stopped, pulling away. "I… wouldn't be able to live without friends like you, either." he said, looking down at his feet. He then stood up, and began walking toward the kitchen. "I need a drink. Do you want anything?"

I shook my head.

"Alright." And he walked into the kitchen.

_Idiot, just tell him how you feel! _I scolded myself. _Could you not see the pain in his eyes? Can you not hear his heart shattering? Did you not notice that ounce of hope in his iris shimmering when he almost embraced you? How can you not stop this sorrow and put an end to this grief you both endure? …And why the heck does this sound like something out of Shakespeare?_

I looked into the kitchen, seeing Rudy sitting at a table, his face buried in his arms, a Pepsi © can sitting in front of him.

I looked down, my emotions in an agonizing bundle, and walked away.

0o0o0o0o0

Three hours later, my aunt Red Rose picked me up from Silver's. I loaded my bag into the backseat of her blue Volvo, and turned to Rudy, which caused me guilt for the first thing I saw was the grief within his eyes.

I then hugged him tightly. "I'll come back," I whispered to him. "I promise you that much."

Pulling out of the embrace, I climbed into the car, watching my friend's reflection grow smaller in the rearview mirror as we drove away.

"Did you make things right?" Rose asked me. She knew about my tangled feelings, and was the one who gave me the advice to tell Rudy how I really felt.

I only sighed in reply.

"I'll take that as a 'no'. Danny, you know it's just going to hurt both of you more if neither of you clear things up."

"I know," I muttered.

"Oh, do you now? Then why didn't you tell him how you felt?"

I looked into the rearview mirror, seeing that Rudy was out of sight now. "Because… I'm not even sure how I feel."

We drove in silence after that.

My emotions eventually made themselves clear… though it took three years, and by that time, I wished I had known sooner.

0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Sorry for you DannyxRudy fans out there, but- like Danny- I too am wondering whether to keep them in a relationship, have them remain friends, or wind up writing something that would shatter their bond forever just for dramatic effect. …Decisions, decisions…

Please review. No flames or the monkey gets it! (holds a squirt-gun up to a plush-toy monkey's head) I'm serious!

*No toy monkeys were harmed during the making of this author's note.*


	3. Life of a Homosexual

Here's a ridiculously fast update. ENJOY!

0o0o0o0o0

**The Life of a Homosexual**

Have you've ever grown up as something, but never figured out why you became it?

Did you ever take a look at yourself, wondering who you are, and why you were that way?

Ever wish that you could just change… but still be the same?

…Are you wondering if that last statement even makes sense?

Allow me to explain more clearly: I'm gay. And I've learned to deal with it.

My siblings used to beat me up for it, but after meeting some friends who didn't care much about it, got some advice from a werewolf, had several near-death experiences- along with a ton of awkward moments- I managed to beat my shame.

However… I also hurt someone… someone I never wanted to hurt.

A girl, who was a very loyal friend of mine and had a crush on me.

I didn't MEAN to hurt her… it's just… I only saw her as a friend, and wanted it to stay that way, and had a thing for boys. I thought she understood… but I guess after being a cat for 200 years, she was still trying to get used to human-emotions. Luckily, she managed to move on- I just wish she didn't have to be hurt to do so.

My family wasn't as accepting as my friends were. My mom kept hoping I would find the 'right girl', my dad wishes I would just change, and my siblings Chris and Chrys (they're twins) still teased me once in a while… which wasn't bad, since they stopped punching me.

Many people referred to homosexuality as "Unchristian", "Immoral", "Debauchery", "Against All Laws of Nature", "Dissolute" and "Evil". One of my friend's foster-dad, Silver, didn't use any of these terms, and just told me that there's a woman for every man, and that life isn't easy for homosexuals (boy, he's got THAT right). I pondered his words, thinking if there WAS a girl for me…

But I stopped thinking about it, since every girl (accept Radio and Izzy, another friend of mine) found me unappealing, and my feelings for Danny kept growing.

I always thought that Danny and I would become a couple, especially since we kissed three times (four, if you count an awkward CPR moment), and every time we were near each other… when we were in each other's arms… nothing could hurt us, no grief would fill our souls, no evil forces could break us…

Then I found out Danny was a bisexual, and couldn't decide between liking girls, or boys (let alone me).

…I'd give anything to be a hermaphrodite right now.

When I first realized that Danny didn't have the same feelings toward me as I did for him, I felt as if my world shattered… and felt as if karma hit me like a wrecking ball, knowing that what I felt was no doubt the same way Radio had felt (only difference is that Radio found someone new to love, while my heart remained in shambles).

Now, all my friends were gone. Jimmy and Silver went into hiding because the rebel took off his hat at graduation and revealed his wolf-ears (and he calls ME an idiot?), Radio tagged along to find a way to break her cat-curse once and for all, and Danny went away with his aunt to train to become king.

I stayed in town to watch over Silver's house, until he and the others returned. …if they ever did.

I sat down on the sofa, turning on the TV and going to the Net-Flix application on the Wii, turning on the anime "Princess Tutu". I'm a pretty big fan of ballet, I even wanted to take classes! …Except my dad forbid it, and I knew the twins would only ridicule me more, so the dream was gone.

"I hate my life," I muttered to myself.

"What's there to hate?" A voice asked, startling me. "You've got a lot to appreciate: loving family, great friends… and me."

I felt hands on my shoulders and looked up, seeing Danny standing behind me, smiling as his blue eyes shimmered. "D-Danny? But… I thought you left!"

"I said I'd come back, didn't I?"

I looked at my watch. It had only been half an hour since he left! "So soon?"

He shrugged. "Seemed longer to me… especially since our farewell was all too brief," he sat down beside me, hooking his arm around me and drawing close. "If I'm going to leave you, I want to make our last moment memorable…" he shut his eyes, coming closer, and I felt his hands caress downward on my back as he slowly pulled me into an embrace…

I opened my eyes, and pulled my face out of the pillow, realizing that I had slipped into a fantasy while watching the anime, which was now over.

Groaning, I walked upstairs to the guest bedroom to get some sleep, secretly wishing that one day my fantasy would come true, even though I knew it never would. As I lied down in bed and stared at the ceiling, I quietly wished that things went back to the way they used to be, with me and my friends, having one last adventure, no matter what kind of dangers we faced, as long as we were together again…

You could probably picture the look on my face when my wish came true, three years later.

0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Alright, alright! Seeing that some of you must be getting tired of the whole "three years later" cliff-hanger, I'll skip ahead three years in the next chapter, just to kill the suspense!

Please review. No flames. Flames make flying monkeys tango.


	4. Lessons in Monarchy

I'm bored… so here's another chapter.

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Elizabeth: **Ah, every story has a character less-fortunate than others, though I may lighten up on Rudy later. And we all agree on Jimmy's dumb move. And there may be MORE "Princess Tutu" refs later on ;D …BTW, have you ever heard of the group "Still 2 PM"? I listened to one of their songs ("I'll Be Back") and I must say it's a good tune. Also inspired a little something for the story ;) …And, referring to your last review, that IS quite a coincidence that you're listening to a song based off Snow White while reading about Danny… *gasps!* It's a SIGN! Lol jk. Thanks for the advice, too.

**Polar Purple: **(hope your camping trip's gone well) So, seeming you're a fan, I guess you'd want me to keep 'em together, eh? ;)

**Starspring: **Thank you, very-familiar-reviewer! ;D …And, yes. Seeing a monkey tango WOULD be interesting (but that gives no reason to flame, lol).

0o0o0o0o0o0

Danny stood on the balcony, over-looking the kingdom, like he used to do when he was younger. It seemed like ages since he had lived in a castle, and even now- after three years- he was still getting used to it… especially now that he was king.

Well, not officially 'king', so to say. His aunt, Red Rose, had decided it was time for him to get the feel of being a leader, making him heed small responsibilities (punishing thieves, greeting other monarchs, knighting someone, and other simple tasks), though with each month his responsibilities increased (handling taxes, solving child-custody arguments, checking on imports…). With each new responsibility, he already felt as if he were in control of the kingdom!

Yet there was one teeny, tiny detail his aunt had brought up, that would certify that he was ready to rule the kingdom, though he didn't find out until the most unexpected time.

Today, he had a new task at hand: witnessing an execution of a low-life criminal.

Danny believed he had seen enough people die in his life already, yet it was still recommended that he were to show up and 'give the word'. "All you have to do is listen to what kind of crimes the criminal has done, then give a nod to the executioner." Red Rose told him, nodding toward a man in a black mask, who stood by a lever on the gallows.

Danny could only gulp.

They watched as a prisoner, a man about 65, wearing handcuffs, was led to the platform, wobbling a bit. From the look of his dirty clothes and pale skin, Danny guessed he had been in the dungeon since the castle had been rebuilt. "Lorrence Masterson, has been charged with theft, assault, and treason." A guard announced, reading a small form. "Penalty for theft: community service. Penalty for assault: two years in prison. Penalty for treason: death…"

As the guard went on, Danny turned to his aunt. "Isn't 'death' a bit of a long-stretch for treason?" he asked her. "Couldn't we just keep him locked up?"

"Daniel, he betrayed the _kingdom_." Red Rose explained. "When someone causes treachery to their own homeland, they must pay the price."

"But… he seems so old and frail…"

"He may seem that way, but you can't always rely on appearances. He had knocked out seven guards before we managed to catch him."

Danny looked back down at the man, seeing how he hung his head low, the noose around his neck, his expression full of sorrow. The prince bit his bottom lip, trying to hold back tears, his chest tightening at such an expression.

The executioner was then looking up at him, waiting for his signal.

Hesitantly, Danny gave a small nod, wincing a bit.

*KA-CHUNK!*

He shut his eyes when the old man dropped through the trap-door, the rope around his throat tightening as his body thrashed, then eventually fell limp, dangling in the air.

The crowd below slowly dispersed, and Danny and Red Rose walked back into the kingdom. "I know what you're thinking…" she began.

"How hard it is to believe someone who looks so innocent has to cause so much trouble?" Danny replied with another question.

Red Rose rubbed the back of her neck. "Actually, I was referring to the fact that we're using such a medieval punishment. Main reason is because we're still saving money for an electric chair…"

Danny only sighed. "I don't think I can handle this…" They entered the throne room, where two golden, burgundy-cushioned seats stood at the back of the room, a long blue, red-trimmed carpet leading from the foot of their steps to the large double-doors across the room. Looking at the thrones, he almost imagined seeing his parents sitting there, but the image faded as quickly as it appeared, and the young prince sat down on the steps.

Red Rose sat down beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I know it's a big responsibility, Daniel. Believe me, when I heard about what had happened and found out someone had to take over and guide you, I didn't believe I could do it either. But, I've learned one thing: Being a ruler isn't always following rules, but also following your hear-"

"Prince Daniel!" A female voice that sounded like a cross between an opera-singer and a British parrot shouted, interrupting the heart-felt conversation. An elder woman with gray hair tied back in a bun, wearing a old-styled black dress with puffy sleeves and white cuffs and a white collar stepped into the room. She stood straight and held a ruler, and her eyes glared with strictness.

Daniel only sighed. "Yes, Ro'hberta?" he muttered.

"It is time to attend your dance lesson. …And must I remind you every day that you are not to mumble when speaking to another person?"

Red Rose stood up. "Need I remind you that it is fairly rude to interrupt someone else's conversation, especially by barging into a room unannounced?" she retorted, sternly.

The woman, Rothberta (pronounced 'row'-'burta') only glowered at her, her eyes flickering with complete disdain toward the 'queen'. "I don't suspect you to understand the importance of a young monarch's education, your highness, considering you hardly went through any practices."

"Are you trying to imply something?"

"No, m'lady." Rothberta calmed her glower. _Only the fact that just because you were the only living relative Danny could find doesn't exactly make you a suitable role model. _her eyes seemed to say. "I would only prefer Danny to be prepared for his classes ahead of time."

"Well, some of his classes have to wait… especially since his coronation is nearing."

_Ah, great… the coronation. _Danny thought, holding back a bitter sigh. His coronation was to be at the end of next month, exactly five weeks from today… and time wasn't slowing down with each day that got closer. _The day I officially become king…_

"There is still one thing he must have before he can become king, Elizabeth." Rothberta pointed out, her tone not easing down on the snobbiness. "I do believe you know what I'm talking about…"

Red Rose only sighed. "I know…" she said.

Danny, however, didn't. "What must I have?" he asked.

Rothberta gave Rose Red a sharp glance. "Did you not tell him about the traditional regulations?" she asked, then arched an eyebrow. "Or were you not aware of them until today as well?"

Rose Red glared, then turned to Danny, heaving a great sigh. "Daniel, what we're talking about is a tradition that dates back many years in our family." she said, calmly. "You see, when an heir is preparing to take over the throne, he or she is also given the responsibility to find someone to, ah… _assist_ them in ruling the kingdom."

Danny's eyes widened. "You mean…?" he stammered.

"What she means is, in order to become king, you must find a suitable queen," Rothberta replied. "And how many times must I tell you not to stutter? …Oh, and stop that gaping!"

But Danny couldn't stop. "P-Please excuse me, one moment." He managed to choke out, then ran out of the room and into the nearest restroom.

He doused his face with water to clear the sweat off his head, and he looked at his reflection in the mirror. _It's not enough that they want me to become king, but I also have to have a queen… to get married? _he thought, hysterically. _All because of some family-tradition? (Well, when I'm king, that's gonna be the first to go)._

He stared at his reflection, his mind filling with so many questions: Was that a reason why his father married his mother, because she was a princess? Why didn't Rose Red find a king, or was that only because she was only a temporary ruler to fill in until he became king? Did Silver ever have to go through the same process when he was a prince, or was he able to skip it after he was cursed to be a werewolf? What would his friends say when they found out he was to be betrothed?

…What would Rudy think?

Just the thought of his friend made him uneasy with the position he was in, not only because he still needed to discuss his feelings, but the thought of meeting him again with a wife at his side would probably be unbearable for Rudy, in case he still had feelings toward the prince. _His heart would no doubt shatter… if it already hasn't. _

Thinking of his friends then brought something clear to his mind: it had been a while since they've contacted each other.

The future-king then developed a small grin. "I believe that, before I become king, it's time I caught up with the others," he said to himself.

0o0o0o0o0

A/N: And that's how Danny's life is going so far. Next chapter- meh. I don't know who to pick. :p

Please review. But PLEASE. …No Flames.


	5. Street Rat Rebels

Hello, readers. SO sorry for not updating for a few days, but last week really robbed me of energy (I blame gas prices), so it took longer than I expected to revive. But, steady your racing hearts, I have not abandoned my stories! …So, here's a new chapter, at long last.

**Reviewer Thanks And I Hope You're All Still Alive**

**Starspring: **Yep. Sometimes being royalty is a pain. And thank you for your ideas! ;)

**Elizabeth: **To answer your question about the medieval punishments- budget cuts. And yes, we all know how arranged marriages work out… I think… depending if we're on the same page :p …Also, if you're coincidentally listening to fairytale-based music while reading this again, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that there's a subliminal message in your life, somewhere, lol.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Jimmy lied in bed that night, watching his clock. 12:45.

Only fifteen more minutes.

He got up and- quietly- snuck over to the closet, where he pulled back all his other clothes and pulled out a black jacket, black jeans, black shirt, and a black cap. He learned, after living in Fairytale Land, that if you were to sneak out, you'd have to wear the blackest clothes you could find, blacker than ebony would suffice. He put on his outfit.

Ten minutes to go.

He snuck through the room, down the hall, past Radio's room. They've been sharing an apartment ever since they moved out of Blu's house, and he had learned how to use his werewolf-stealth to get by, without triggering her cat-senses.

*creeaaaak* went a floorboard, and he quickly pinned himself against the wall, peeking into Radio's room…

She stirred, but did not wake.

_That was TOO close… _he thought, then crept toward the front door, slowly slipping through it and walking down the hall. He looked up at a clock on the wall…

Three minutes to go.

Without hesitation, he hopped on the stairway rail and slid down to the door, heading outside where he waited under a streetlight, watching the skies.

While he waited, he couldn't help but think about all that had happened that day. One minute he was sitting out back with Radio, then suddenly he was chasing after some Pedro kid when he dropped a water-balloon on her. Sure, he could enjoy a prank as much as the next guy, but- whether it was just a natural instinct that had grown in him or the wolf inside- he had never allowed anyone to get away with pulling something on his friends… especially Radio.

He had grown fond of the cat-girl back when he was 14, at first only making smart-remarks at her comments whenever he, Danny, or Rudy ever did something they shouldn't (namely it was him she was referring to), or rolling his eyes whenever she tried to give him advice on a bad day. Though, by the time they were in High School, his feelings began to change- he started listening to her more often, started to enjoy her company, and often punched someone's teeth out whenever they made fun of how she didn't know much about modern-society. As soon as Senior Year came around, he realized he had liked Radio more than a friend.

…Of course, the feeling faded after their first year as a couple. They stopped holding hands, he started to kiss her less (especially since she kept turning into a cat), and started to see her as more of a sister. …Though, he still remained protective of her, and didn't like the thought of seeing her with some other guy, and STILL wanted to knock Rudy's lights out when he had broken her heart- oh, sure, it was because he was gay, but the rebel still hated to see Radio cry because of it.

Two minutes left.

Danny and Rudy… he hadn't heard from them in what felt like ages. He would often receive an occasional e-mail from the prince, asking how the land of enchantment was (suckish, Jimmy would always respond), and once in a while he'd get on Facebook and chat with Rudy, making sure the house was still standing. …But, after a year-and-a-half went by, Danny started to become busier with his lessons, and Rudy hardly kept in contact anymore. _Ah, screw it. If they don't feel like keeping in touch, I don't need to give 'em the time of day. _he thought one day, when he got no replies from Danny and Rudy never responded in their chat-room.

…Still, he couldn't help but wonder how they were doing, and if they were alright-

"Yo, Jim!" Came a call from above.

Jimmy looked up, seeing a young man about a year younger than him, of Afghan descent, with tan skin, black hair, brown eyes, wearing nothing but a pair of torn jeans and a burgundy cap… and sitting on a flying carpet. "What's up, Al?" Jimmy asked, climbing onto the carpet, and they flew into the air. The carpet was a dark-blue color, with a few white diamonds embedded into it- the perfect way to blend into the night sky. "So, what's the job, tonight?"

"The Clause brothers were robbed by the Al Dante Brothers…" Al then smirked. "Who happened to slip into the Poison Apple last night, hiding the loot in a secret compartment."

Jimmy smirked back. He had met Al a couple years ago, having learned he was a pick-pocket pro (like himself), and had a knack for planning a raid. They had met when they both witnessed a gingerbread-man stealing some old woman's purse, both of them trapping him in the alley and getting the bag back, let alone making the cookie crumble in fear. After swapping stories, they came to realize one thing: they would make a great team.

And they did.

Al, having lived in the land longer than Jimmy, was the eyes and ears of the operation, finding out the who, what, where, how, and why, while Jimmy was mostly the brawn in case things got dangerous. Together, they were natural thieves in the night.

They landed the carpet out back behind the Poison Apple bar, ducking behind a dumpster when a man staggered out to vomit. "Alright, here's the plan," Jimmy whispered.

0o0o0o0o0

Smedrick Faust hated visiting local bars… especially after an incident his brother pulled, which involved him making a deal with the devil. The only reason he was at the Poison Apple this night was for a friend's bachelor party… though he didn't exactly to expect anything more.

He watched as a man walked in, his arm hooked around a drunken burly man, and walked up to the bar. "Hey, bartender! How 'bout another round?" The younger man called, loopily.

"'nother roun'!" The burly man gurgled, his body swaying.

The bartender sneered at both of them. "I think the both of you had enough tonight," he scoffed.

"Not fer us, fer deh guys at dat table!" The younger man pointed over at a group of Spaniard thugs, who sat in a corner, eyeing him oddly.

"Them? Why them?"

The younger man smirked. "Don't tell anyone, but lets jus' say they've got a bit o' some-ting fer me…" he gave the burly man a hard whack on the back. "Ain't dat right, mate?"

"*belch* Smack-dab on the dot…" The burly man replied, before passing out on the floor.

The Spaniards looked at each other, then got up and approached the young man at the counter. Faust, in the meantime, had noticed a shadow lurking through the front door and toward the bar steps, though he decided not to say anything- when his brother said something, it cost him his soul.

"And what, pray tell, do we have for you, amigo?" One of the thugs asked the young man.

"Perhaps the answer tah my riddle," The young man said, smirking. "What has six heads, six black eyes, and no brains?"

The thugs looked at each other, then back at the young man. "What?" One of them asked.

"Let me put it in simpler terms: If Little Clause had seventeen rare jewels, and Big Clause had eighty pieces of eight, what do the Al Dante Brothers have?"

The thugs looked at each other, and one of them raced up the stairs. Faust, from his angle, could only see him looking under an old table, then over the edge. "It's gone!" he called down.

The thugs turned to the young man, grabbing his shoulder and glowering at him. "Where's our loot, you thief?" One of them, the biggest one, demanded.

"Simple. It's with the same guy who can answer my first riddle," The young man replied with a shrug.

"What-"

*CRASH!*

A chair then hit one of the thugs over the head, and Faust looked over, seeing another young man dressed in black, standing by the door, holding a large sack over his shoulder. "You want it? Come get it!" he called.

Three of the thugs ran after him, while the other three ganged up on the other young man, who let out a whistle. To Faust's surprise, a carpet shot out from underneath the burly (and unconscious) man he had walked in with, and wrapped itself around one of the thugs, while the young man punched the other two in the faces.

The other young man, Faust could see, was now running from the other thugs, toward a wall… and suddenly up it! _What in the world? _he wondered, and then noticed the boy wasn't wearing shoes… but had wolf-feet, whose claws allowed him to climb up to the ceiling!

The thugs then started shooting at the young men. The carpet swooped in and blocked the bullets- to Faust's amazement it happened to be bulletproof- and gave the first young man a lift up to the ceiling, where he took out a knife and cut a few hanging lamps, which landed on the faces of a few thugs… one landing on Faust's table, making him jump back.

The lad with wolf-feet then leaped off the ceiling toward the other thugs, and swung the bag before he landed, knocking them all in the heads and into the wall. The young man with the carpet swooped in and grabbed him, and flew out the back door, just as the police came in.

Faust, having seen enough, exited the bar. Looking at the thugs, he counted six of them, each with a black eye… and weren't very sharp.

"Not very wise to deal with the Street Rat Rebels," Faust said to himself, then bid farewell to his friends (who were talking wildly about the event) and left the bar.

0o0o0o0o0

Smith Clause and Sam Clause both sat outside their store. They had once had the most priceless jewelry known in all the land… but after that last robbery, they had nothing. "Now what are we going to do?" Smith, the youngest Clause brother, asked.

"No idea…" Sam, the oldest, replied sadly. "Perhaps it would be best if… we just fixed up the shop and find some new gems."

Smith rolled his eyes. "Be serious, Sam. It's not like a bunch of jewels are going to fall from the heavens!"

*Plop*

A sack of gold and jewels then landed in front of them. They looked up, seeing nothing but sky, and then back at each other, both of them agreeing not to say a word.

Jimmy and Al both landed on a rooftop, easing back after a successful raid. Jimmy always wanted to have a chance to be a thief again, but he had also promised himself to never take the criminal path again… so he kept his promise and got his wish by raiding thieves, and giving the loot to those who deserved it.

"So, any other jobs tonight?" Jimmy asked, leaning back.

"Nah. I think every thief is laying low after so many have had a run in with 'The Street Rat Rebels'," Al said, chuckling. "I never thought the press would come up with a name like THAT for us,"

"Yeah. We've got to get ourselves some writers."

They snickered a little more, then sat in silence, staring up at the stars. The silence always made Jimmy think, and he hated to think since bad memories always came up, but since life was going his way at the moment, he didn't mind much.

"So, think we ought to invite Blu on one of our raids, sometime?" Al asked.

Jimmy shrugged. "Nah. She says she's trying to avoid her past life, and try to lead a normal one."

Al chuckled. "Then she'd better move out of Fairytale Land, then. …What I don't get, though, is why she doesn't just join the 12 Huntresses, or the Police Force, like her cousins did. She's a great fighter, she's pretty clever…"

"She's not interested in law-enforcement, and she doesn't get along well with other girls,"

"Oh, right. …Eh, I don't blame her. The law wasn't always on my side, either. I'm just glad we managed to avoid 'em this time! …Especially the chief. He always gives us a weird look every time he sees us!"

Jimmy only sighed. _More like he gives ME one… _he thought.

"You'd think he wouldn't look so peeved, since he stole a few goods in his day, too…"

"Eh. He just doesn't understand, I guess."

"I'm surprised he doesn't. Robin Hood… scowling at a pair of pick-pockets who steal for a greater good. Who would've thought?"

Jimmy shrugged, then started to walk off. "I'm gonna head back home."

"Alright. See you on the next raid!"

When he got back to his apartment, Jimmy slumped in his bed… he hoped he wouldn't turn out TOO much like his father.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: (fantasizing about what it would be like if Jim met Aladdin) …Whoops! Sorry! Uh, review!


	6. Vampire Cat Combo

Now for yet another chapter.

Apparently, the last chapter was shot because no one reviewed :(

0o0o0o0o0o0

Across the seas, in the US, down an alley located somewhere in Chicago, a young woman was walking home from a bar. She had dark-brown hair, bright brown eyes, and wore a black Affliction © jacket over a white top, torn jeans, and a black cap with a white rose-imprint on it. Behind her, in the shadows, a man was stalking her, though she appeared to be unaware of his presence.

It was perhaps 1 in the morning, and the woman had taken a short-cut through the alley since it was the quickest way to her vehicle, which- she knew from experience- could easily be hi-jacked by any unsuspecting person. She restrained a smirk, remembering the looks on those boys' faces when they noticed she had swiped their moped- which they had swiped first, and she merely just returned it after giving them a lift home.

She reached the end of the alley, seeing across the street that her motorcycle was still in place. Though, she would've been happier if her stalker hadn't grabbed her by the arms, pulling them behind her back. "How about if you and me go to my place, my dear?" he asked, his voice sounding European.

The woman smirked. "Actually, I was hoping I'd take you somewhere," she retorted, jerking her hand free and whipping out a badge. "You're under arrest,"

The man hissed, twisting her arm, but she managed to jerk it free before he could make her feel pain, then punched him in the face, kicked him in the groin, and hip-tossed him onto the ground. He stood up, his pale skin revealed in the streetlight, his fangs glistening, and the vampire leaped at her.

The woman dodged, pulling out a gun, but was yanked aside by a woman with deep-brown skin, black hair, yellow eyes, cat-ears, and a cat-tail. "You wouldn't be trying to harm my hubby, would you?" she asked, her voice sounding Russian. "It would spoil our 207th anniversary,"

"Sorry, cat-woman, but you'll be spending your anniversary behind bars," The woman said, kicking the Cat-Furry in the shin then flipping her over her shoulder. The vampire lunged at her and she swung the cat-woman at him, making them hit the wall. "You know, I was hoping for a less anti-climatic battle,"

The vampire and the Cat-Furry both hissed and lunged at the same time. The woman, boredly, let out a yawn and stretched her arms out- flicking a couple daggers out of her sleeve then throwing them. The first dagger, aimed at the cat-woman, missed only by a hair- though it managed to scalp her.

Her second dagger, however, was right on target, striking the vampire in the heart. "John!" The cat-woman shrieked, running over to him.

"Marsha!" the vampire gasped, trying to pull the dagger out.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Three bullets to the head, and he was out cold. The Cat-Furry snarled and turned toward the woman in blind fury, lunging at her so fast she didn't notice she had whipped out a pair of shuriken.

*Skish! Skish!*

The cat-woman froze, then fell to the ground, the last thing in her line of vision being her disembodied arms twitching next to her.

The woman then walked over to both of them, muttering something, and then black, white-outlined symbols began to circle the vampire and Cat-Furry's heads and around their necks. A black van pulled up, and out stepped a blue-skinned Kretin woman, with graying blonde-hair, with two cat-creatures with her, all three of them wearing brown uniforms. "Get them to Pent Towers," the woman said to the Kretin. "That cat-woman's probably still got some extra lives, and those bullets won't keep that vampire unconscious for long."

The two cat-creatures loaded the two criminals into the van. "You never cease to amaze me, Detective," the warden said. "The rest of us never guessed that a kind-looking couple such as John and Marsha could have been behind all the rapes and muggings. I suppose it goes to show books cannot always be judged by their covers."

"I always figured you had learned that by now, Warden, after meeting John Long and Jimmy Krook,"

The warden sneered. "I prefer that you don't remind me of those two riff-raffs, Detective. Just because their cases haven been proven innocent doesn't mean they didn't cause trouble back at Pent Towers."

"Ah, yes- the only two who ever managed to escape your grasp." The woman smirked.

The warden rolled her eyes. "Just be sure to have a report of this on my desk by Wednesday," With that, she climbed into the van and sped off, heading for a private ferry that would take her back to their own island, located somewhere out to sea, never discovered by others.

The woman shrugged, walking over to her motorcycle and pulling on her helmet, where she noticed something, and looked into the rearview mirror, seeing something peculiar: she now had cat-ears, her skin was pale, her eyes were pink, her hair was black, and- looking behind her- she had a bushy, black tail with a brown tip on it. Wondering what the cause was, she looked on her arm, noticing that vampire had dug his nails in too deep, and on her shoulder, there was also a scrape, possibly when she flipped that cat-woman.

_So much for a flawless victory. _Izzy thought with a shrug, then revved up her vehicle and sped off into the night.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Just figured I'd let you guys see what Izzy's been up to ^-^ …Review?


	7. Chatting

Well, sorry for the wait, but here's another chapter!

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Starspring: **Yeah, I love making interesting combos (would you like fries with that?). To tell the truth, I nearly forgot Silver's real name too. …And, yeah. I'm pretty sure weirder things have happened to Izzy- and they'll just keep getting weirder!

0o0o0o0o0o0

Jimmy looked at the clock, it was nine in the morning. He wanted to sleep in, but he couldn't- the raid last night was over too quick, and he went home earlier than he expected himself to. Sighing, he got out of bed and walked to the kitchen, where he saw Radio was already awake. This didn't surprise him- Radio always got up early, and always managed to get things done before noon… and always had breakfast ready on the table.

She almost reminded him of his mother… minus the cat-ears and tail.

"So. How was your raid last night?" she asked.

This caught Jimmy off guard. "What are you talking about?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.

"You went out with Al again. I heard you sneaking by last night."

_She couldn't have! _Jimmy thought. _She was out like a rock when I went by her room! …Unless…_

"I was pretending to remain asleep," Radio said, as if reading his mind. "I figured you wanted to go out and have a little fun after a long day… so I didn't stop you."

Jimmy sat down, across from her. "How did you know about the raids?"

Radio held up a newspaper, the headlines reading "Rebels Strike Again!", and there was a picture of Al and Jimmy flying out an alley on a carpet- though Jimmy's features were hard to make out, because the black cap he wore was pulled low over his face.

"It didn't take me long to figure out the rebel in black was you, but I never brought it up." Radio said, then locked her eyes with Jimmy's. "What I want to know is… why didn't you tell me about it before?"

Jimmy scoffed, leaning back in his chair. "What, I can't have a hobby without filling you in?" he sneered.

"Not if the police are involved," she looked at the newspaper again. "Robin is getting determined in tracking you both down for causing mischief."

"Causing it? We're trying to stop it! We track down thieves and steal the things they've stolen, and give 'em back to the people they belong to!"

"The whole 'fighting fire with fire' effect."

"Oh, shut it. It's none of your business, and it shouldn't be Robin's, either. Besides, HE basically did the same thing, only he robbed rich people for hobos."

"AND took down a corrupt phony prince-"

Jimmy rolled his eyes, walking out of the room. "Whatever. Lets just drop it, alright?"

Radio shook her head. _He never fails to be stubborn and ignore reason. _she thought, standing up. "I just don't want you getting in trouble again-"

"I WON'T, but I might if you keep blabbing about it-"

*Bloop!*

Their discussion was interrupted by a sound from the computer. Jimmy walked over, seeing that he had left his chat-room on. He looked at who was online, and he smirked. "Well, look who finally found time out of his busy schedule to talk."

"Who is it?" Radio asked, looking over his shoulder, and her face lit up at the message.

_Prince1: Hey, are you online?_

Jimmy began typing.

_HardcoreRebel: Hey, long time no talk, Princy. I figured you went off to slay a dragon or something and got your ass burned._

_Prince1: Ha, ha, ha. I see you've still got some sarcasm left in you. I figured you had used it up by now._

_HardcoreRebel: Sarcasm never has a limit._

"Hang on, I'm going to get on, too!" Radio said, running to her laptop, and logged-on to join the conversation. Their chat-room managed to hold up to more than a two-way conversation.

_~Cat-Girl-Princess~: Daniel! It's been so long! How have you been?_

"You know you can't use real-names on these things, right?" Jimmy said to her. "Chat-rooms aren't always private." But Radio wasn't paying attention. He rolled his eyes, looking back at the screen.

_Prince1: I've been fine. I was trying to contact Rudy, but he hasn't replied yet._

_HardcoreRebel: He doesn't seem to be online._

_~Cat-Girl-Princess~: I hope he's alright. I haven't heard from him in a while…_

"He's probably just busy with schoolwork or-" Jimmy began, but another *bloop!* interrupted him.

_Rude-Boy123: Guess who?_

_~Cat-Girl-Princess~: RUDY! :D_

_Prince1: Well, speak of the devil! We were wondering where you were at!_

_HardcoreRebel: About time you showed up, Rude-Boy. I figured you were going to leave me alone with the royal pains._

_Prince1: Very funny… T_T_

_Rude-Boy123: Ugh, sorry I haven't been online lately. College was a drag, and I've been looking for my own place to live._

_HardcoreRebel: Speaking of which, how's my old house holding up? You haven't burned it down, have you?_

_Rude-Boy123: Idk. Where do you keep the matches? XD Your place is fine._

_~Cat-Girl-Princess~: So glad to hear. Now that you're done with college, what are your plans?_

_Prince1: Actually guys I've had an idea in mind…_

_HardcoreRebel: Wat?_

_Prince1: Well, my coronation is in five weeks, and I was wondering if, maybe, you guys wanted to come and visit before so._

Jimmy and Radio both exchanged glances.

_HardcoreRebel: Come and visit some classy castle before you become king? I'll think about it- while I'm packing my bags!_

_~Cat-Girl-Princess~: Yes! It's been too long wince we've had a reunion._

_Rude-Boy123: Count me in! Can we do it the weekend BEFORE the twins visit?_

_Prince1: How does next Monday sound?_

_HardcoreRebel: The sooner I get out of the land of sissified enchantments, the better._

_~Cat-Girl-Princess~: Sure. I'll try to get a week off._

_Rude-Boy123: My schedule's free. _

_Prince1: Great! I'll see you all then!_

They all logged off, and Jimmy turned to Radio. "Looks like we're taking a road-trip, Rad." he said, only to notice Radio was gone. He walked down the hall, seeing that she was in her room, rapidly packing her suitcase.

"Being reunited, at long last! Oh, I can't wait! There's so much to catch up on!" Radio was exclaiming to herself.

Jimmy chuckled, shaking his head. "You realize we're not leaving for another three days, right?"

0o0o0o0o0o0

Danny shut his laptop, sighing happily. "So, what did they say?" Red Rose asked, sitting in the chair next to him, reading.

He looked at her, smiling. "Have the servants prepare the guest-rooms." he said.

Red Rose stood up, smiling wide. "They're coming? Oh, that's wonderful! When will they be here?"

"In three days."

"Excellent! C'mon, lets go shopping and find some new outfits for the occasion, maybe even some things for a feast, rent a few movies too-"

"A-HEM." came a stern voice, and they turned to see Rothberta. "Before you do anything, your majesty, you have an appointment waiting down the hall."

Danny had to suppress a groan. "Coming," he muttered.

"I'll wait up for you." Red Rose said, walking out of the room.

Danny followed Rothberta down several corridors and into a room, where a young woman with long blonde hair was waiting for him. "Might I introduce, Princess Jocelyn Rappel Zellen." Rothberta announced.

"You may call me Rapunzel," the princess replied, curtsying. "Everyone at my own kingdom used to."

Danny arched an eyebrow. "Rapunzel? As in…?" he began to ask.

"The fairytale, yes. It was namely because my hair was a lot longer, and it was a while before I could get it cut."

Rothberta walked toward the door. "I shall leave you both to get acquainted." she said, then gave Danny a hard glance. "And I expect you to mind your manners." With that, she walked out of the room, closing the doors.

Danny sighed. "Yeah, my nurse, Prudence, is pretty strict too." Rapunzel told him, then whispered. "I'd cover up the key-holes, just in case she's spying."

"Already on it," Danny said, moving a chair in front of the key-holes. He could hear an aggravated growl from outside the door. He then walked over and sat down in another chair. "So… care to tell me about yourself?"

"Well, as you know I'm a princess, I've been summoned here because you need a queen- that's what I heard Rothberta say to my nurse, at least-and I once locked myself in a tower away from home because a bunch of guys kept stalking me because I was so beautiful- up until I found a girl more beautiful than me- and when I was sure it was safe for me to go out without the fear of being chased by a horde of men, I went back home. But, when I got home, some guy who had a crush on me was waiting for me, having visited the kingdom every day until I finally returned- sweet but creepy- and I had to call the guards one night to throw him out because he was trying to climb up to my bedroom window. …I'd bet anything he's back at the castle, waiting for me again."

Danny only nodded. "That's… quite a life." he said. "Did this boy know where you were going?"

"Oh, I highly doubt he'd have THAT many resources-"

"Rapunzel! Hey, Rapunzel! Are you in there?" came a nasally voice from outside. They ran out to the balcony, seeing a scrawny blonde-haired boy with thick-framed glasses, freckles, and buck-teeth. A pair of guards were approaching him. "Hey, do you guys know if there's a girl with long hair in- hey! Whoa! WHOA!" The guards were now dragging him off. He looked up, catching a glimpse of Rapunzel. "Alas, my fair beauty, I shall not rest, until I- WAUGH!" the guards- literately- threw him out.

Rapunzel blushed, shaking her head. "Man, and I thought Red Riding Hood had stalker-issues."

"I met her once," Danny said. "Nice girl… but had a bit too much prostitution to her name."

Rapunzel's watch then beeped. "Looks like our courting-session is done."

"Allow me to show you to the door."

They walked out of the room, and Rothberta pulled Danny to the side. "Well…?" she asked, firmly.

Danny watched Rapunzel go. She waved farewell to him, and he waved back. "Nice girl… but not exactly my type." he replied.

"What?"

"Sorry, she's really beautiful… but I think she has another man in her life." With that, Danny walked off.

0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Next chapter… reunion! :D (does that seem too soon?)

Please review. No flames or your forehead will meet my brick. (holds up brick) Brick, flamer's forehead. Flamer's forehead, meet my brick!


	8. Radio's Kind of Man

(The authoress walks upon a stage) And now… the next chapter.

*applause from the audience*

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Starspring: **Yep, a reunion is just what they need alright- to get the story rolling. …I also thought of the movie "Tangled" when I put in Rapunzel, and I had a sudden desire to put in a tidbit where someone got hit with a frying pan, but decided to save that for later. And I believe your feeling may be correct, especially in the 'love' department- considering that I may swap around a few pairings, but we'll see ;)

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Anthony Putsenbutes sat in his office, staring out the window of his castle/prison. Once, he had been a famed monster-hunter, loved by all and feared by everything… until that one day that blasted werewolf and those three boys came along and turned his reputation to shame. It wasn't bad enough that the prisoners escaped, oh no, but that he was accused of having been partners with a madman who committed a royal murder, yet no one wanted to listen to Anthony's testimony- that he had only been paid by Jacque Custoe to take in some prisoners and dispose of them, not knowing that the man was a criminal himself.

He had a dream- a dream that started out so wonderful yet turned into a nightmare- that he finally found the trail of those boys and that werewolf, so close to capturing them and making them pay for ruining his once-successful monster-hunting career… yet when he awoke, sorrow swept over him, and shame returned.

Anthony had spent years over-looking different routes, going out deep into the forest to back-track where he had first encountered the werewolf, searching for any kind of clue on where those boys may be located, but hadn't found nothing more than mud, leaves, and broken twigs. He had decided to go to a river to drown himself, feeling as if his quest for redemption had failed.

Until he found an interesting newspaper article about that Krook boy, and had a new lead.

Now, as he looked over a few e-mails from some reliable sources and studied a map, he pin-pointed a specific location in which he would finally capture the only prisoners who managed to slip away from him. He grabbed his cape and hat, sheathed an extra pair of knives, and grabbed his best sword, then went on his first hunt in three years.

And this time, he knew, they wouldn't have an escape.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The three days couldn't have passed enough for Radio, who was so excited to see her two friends again that her cat-ears never seemed to shrink down. Silver, though wanted to see Danny and Rudy as much as Jimmy and Radio, had decided to keep an eye on their apartment while they were gone.

The night before they planned to leave, Radio sat in Red Riding Hood's room, with four other young women: Aurora, Alice, Ariel, and- the most familiar- Starspring. She had grown fond of the girls, though she still didn't feel any sort of bond toward Red, due to the red-hooded girl trying to force a move on Rudy three years back. It was a tradition for them to have a slumber-party whenever one of them was going on a trip, then have another once they got back, all for the same reason: gossip.

"So, you're going on a trip with Jimmy, eh?" Aurora asked, grinning. "That ought to be fun."

"Where are you going?" Ariel asked. "Is it somewhere romantic, where you'll be alone?"

"Is it on a tropical cruise to an island?" Alice asked.

Radio chuckled. "No, we're just going to visit Danny and Rudy. It's been a while since we've seen them." she replied.

"Danny asked you guys to visit?" Red asked, arching an eyebrow. "I wonder why he didn't invite Snow to go along, since she's his only other living aunt." she then eyed Radio. "Come to think of it, why didn't he ask any of his OTHER relatives to go, including me?"

"Oh, it's not always about you, Red." Starspring scoffed. "There's always your next Family Reunion to look forward to."

"And besides, Radio, Danny, Jimmy, and Rudy have been close friends since before they came to Fairytale Land." Aurora said, turning to Radio. "That's what you told us, right?"

"Yeah, it'll be like a high-school reunion or something," Ariel agreed.

Red rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she scoffed. "Anyway, Radio, since we're on the boy-subject, how's your relationship with my nephew going?"

Radio sighed. "Not so well. We've grown distant lately, and… well, I just don't know how well our relationship will be holding up." she admitted. "We may start seeing other people, if nothing changes for the better."

"Can I have him, then?" Ariel asked, and the other girls gave her a look. "Oh, I'm just kidding! You guys know I've already got my eyes on Eric- the most hansom, sweetest…"

"Hunkiest, well-dressed, most-charming man you'll ever meet," Starspring finished, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, we all know you've got the hots for him, sis." Ariel stuck her tongue out.

"Who are you interested in, then?" Alice questioned.

Starspring shrugged. "Well, I did like Danny… but I'd just like a guy who wouldn't act like such a dumb-ass."

"Think _realistically, _Star." Red joked, and all the girls laughed. "If I were to find another guy-"

"Which you do every week," Aurora said, smirking.

Red scoffed. "What I meant was, if I were to find a guy I'd like to stick with my whole life, I'd want him to be in-shape, strong, and have the best features- sparkling eyes, a sexy smile, a nice ass- and he'd have to be great in bed-"

"Too much info!" Ariel cried, giggling.

"Well, what other kind of man is worth marrying?"

"I'd like to meet up with that college guy, Hat, again." Alice said. "He's pretty random, but he's also very loyal. If it wasn't for his help, that Red Queen would've had my head!"

"I'm already engaged to Peter," Aurora said, showing her ring. "I knew he was the one for me the moment he saved me from taking the 'eternal sleep'."

"What about you, Radio?" Starspring asked. "What kind of guy would you want to marry?"

_I'm tired of boys who make me cry_

Radio didn't have to think about it, for she knew what kind of boy she wanted… the same boy who she always stuck by, despite her heartbreak after finding out he wasn't interested in her… having been in love with someone else.

_They cheat on me and they tell me lies_

She winced, remembering the day when she first figured it out- she had still been under a curse- and felt stupid later on for not realizing it earlier. Yet, after her curse was lifted and her human emotions started to kick in, she had grown to fall for him all over again- especially since he had been the one who changed her back into a human in the first place.

_I want a love who'd never stray_

And if breaking the curse wasn't enough, he had also helped her get through the modern-age, teaching her many ways on how she could dress, and how to fit in when she attended school. No matter how long it took her to learn or how she kept asking him questions, he stayed by her side, just like she had with him.

_When he sees other girls he looks away_

When the other girls would tease her for being different, he would always be there to cheer her up- with Jimmy and Danny at his side (the rebel being the one throwing out smart-mouthed retorts, some which made a couple girls cry). He had showed her what kind of girls there were in the world- which kind to avoid, and which kind was safe.

_And if he never kisses me, well that's alright_

Rudy treated her like a best friend… though she always wished they could be more, wishing- at least once more- he would kiss her on the lips, and hold her in his arms…

'_Cuz we can just cuddle all night_

"Radio?" Ariel asked, waving a hand in front of her face.

"Huh? What?" Radio asked, jumping a bit.

"You spaced off." Alice said.

"Must've been thinking hard on what kind of man she wants in her life," Starspring guessed.

"So… what would your dream guy be?" Aurora asked, smirking.

Radio rubbed the back of her neck. "Well… a guy who's be sensitive, of course… who'd always listen to me, and would never mind going shopping… a boy who'd… well, almost be like a girl." she replied, blushing.

_Gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend_

The other girls just looked at her for a minute, then burst out laughing. "Man, I wish there WAS a boy like that!" Ariel giggled.

"Yeah, it would help us save our breaths trying to get through to 'em," Alice added.

"Too bad there's only one kind of guy like that…" Red said, taking a sip of her water before continuing. "And that's a queer one."

The girls all nodded. Starspring gave Radio a wink, but didn't blurt out anything. None of the other girls knew that Rudy was a homosexual, except Red- though she had long since forgotten about him, only bringing him up when discussing the 'one boy who ever rejected her'.

Aurora then gave Radio a look. "So… you'd want a gay boyfriend, huh?" she asked.

_I don't really care that you are queer._

Radio shrugged. "Why not? A lot of other women hang out with gay guys, don't they?" she questioned, and the other girls had to agree.

_Gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend_

"Well, I don't know about you girls, but I feel like watching a movie and getting a manicure," Red said. All the girls went into the living room, turning on the movie _Sixteen Candles _while doing each other's nails.

_I never feel lonely when you are near._

Radio, however, was lost in her thoughts again, a smile appearing on her face when she knew that it was only a matter of hours before she was reunited with her 'gay boyfriend'.

_La la, la, la, la, la la, la, la la…_

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: …I had to fit the "Gay Boyfriend" (by the Hazzards) into this story somehow. I heard it on Youtube one day, and Radio immediately sprang to mind, so I figured it would fit her. …Though it won't be the main song of the story, so don't hit the ceiling just yet.

Please review. No flames are allowed. (sets up "No Flames Allowed" sign)

Flame: Daddy! Wherever Girl won't let me in again!

Daddy Flame: Is that so? (glares at authoress)

Me: O.O Wuh-oh…


	9. Well THAT Was Unexpected

Here's a new chapter for you! *throws chapter to readers*

*Konk!*

Old Guy: Ow!

Me: 0_0 Sorry, Old Man Jenkins!

**Reviewer Thanks And Please Don't Tell Mrs. Jenkins I Gave Her Husband A Concussion (Again)**

**Fangface the Second: **I just felt inspired ;) …And hope your college classes are going well!

**Elizabeth: **I KNOW I use more of the Disney versions than the original versions, but it's kind of a way of giving a shout-out to my childhood (given what they've been putting on Disney lately, you can't really blame me). …A lot of princes in the fairytales never had their names mentioned, have they? What, the princesses get to be named, but the princes don't? What did the authors have against princes? …I know Alice isn't really a fairytale, but having seen the movie (both cartoon and reality) it does have some fairytale like qualities- mystical creatures, evil queens, all that stuff (I was once in a play about the "Looking Glass" one, as an extra). And I try to use BOTH story-versions (I did with the Beauty and the Beast ones in the last story). …As for Radio and Jimmy, Radio DID like Jimmy, but she still has feelings for Rudy (Question is, how will Jimmy react when he finds out? *insert dramatic music here*) Glad you enjoyed the previous chappies!

**Starspring: **I laughed at the song when I first heard it, too lol. And Anthony may switch sides, or revenge will continue to cloud his mind and lead to his downfall… but we'll see. And, yes, that's basically what EVERY slumber-party includes ^-^

0o0o0o0o0o0

After saying farewell to their friends the next morning, Jimmy and Radio got on the Zaphael Train- the only train that could transport someone in and out of Fairytale Land- and sent them to their old hometown… which made them feel cautious, remembering their high-school graduation. Due to that event, Jimmy wore a black-and-red baseball cap that he kept pulled over his eyes, and kept his tail tucked into his jeans. He had kissed Radio, turning her into a cat so that no one would recognize her, and they walked back to their old house.

"Do you suppose Rudolph is waiting for us?" Radio asked in a whisper, so not to draw any attention- no one really took hearing a cat talk too calmly.

"Maybe, unless he's with his boy-toy now." Jimmy replied.

Radio rolled her eyes. "Honestly, James, I wish you'd stop being so critical. You know how hurt he was after Daniel explained how he didn't prefer having a relationship…"

Jimmy couldn't forget it… especially since Rudy had cried to Radio over the phone about it for nearly five hours- he could hear him bawling through the receiver from across the room. "Well, if you ask me, he should've seen it coming. I mean, he couldn't expect Danny to just change for him just because Rudy kissed him, right?"

"Just don't bring it up. I don't want our reunion to start off with insults, especially after three years."

Jimmy rolled his eyes, then took out his old house-key- which he had been saving in case they ever came back- and unlocked the door, stepping inside. "Rudy? Hey, dude, we're here!"

Radio walked into the living room, searching. "Rudolph, are you here? We're ready to go!"

No answer.

"I suppose he took off before us," she walked toward the stairs. "Should we check the bedrooms?"

Jimmy shook his head. "Nah, if he ain't here, he's probably at the castle, glomping Danny as we-"

"James…"

"Joking, I'm joking!" They stepped into the garage, where they saw Rudy's car sitting there. It was a robin-blue convertible… and looked as if it hadn't been driven for ages. "Weird, I figured he'd take better care of his car, being such a responsibly goody-two-shoes…"

"Maybe he had walked to the train station and took a ride from there." Radio guessed.

Jimmy gave her a look. "Taking a train… to a castle only 50 miles away?"

"Alright, perhaps he got a ride from Chris or Chrys, or perhaps Danny sent someone to pick him up."

Jimmy shook his head. "Nah, the twins aren't that generous, and if Danny had sent out rides we'd have gotten one of our own." he traced his finger over a layer of dust on the car. "And it looks like this car has been sitting here for longer than three days…"

Radio went back into the house, calling for Rudy again, and again got no reply. "I don't like the looks of this, Jimmy…" she said once she returned to the garage.

"Don't get too worried. Maybe he just went to see his parents before he left." Jimmy found the car keys and climbed into the vehicle.

Radio stared at him. "What… are you doing?"

"Well, if Rudy isn't using his car, we might as well…"

"He may need it for the trip!" Radio glowered at him, crossing his arms. "If you car-jack our friend…"

"I'm not! I was merely going to drive to his house and see if he were there, then wait for him."

This was, of course, a lie. After seeing what Jimmy was at graduation, Rudy's parents would go into spasms at his sudden reappearance. …Plus, if Rudy hardly used his car, he wouldn't miss it so much, he figured.

"I suggest we send him a text before doing anything rash," Radio said, sternly.

Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Fine… whatever," he muttered, whipping out his cell-phone and typing a message: _Dude, we're in town, ready to head to Danny's. Can we use your car?_

It was a couple minutes before he got a reply: _Go ahead. Already made it to Danny's. See you soon!_

"He's already at Danny's?" Radio said, surprised, once Jimmy showed her the message. "But… how did he get there without his car?"

Jimmy shrugged, putting away his phone. "No clue. …My only guess is that Rudy got a free-ride by promising not to sneak into Danny's room and-"

"One more crack about Rudy and I'll chop off your tail and stuff it in your mouth!"

"Alright, alright! Sheesh… _Someone_ doesn't have any humor…"

They pulled out of the garage and onto the street, then drove off in the direction of Danny's castle.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

They reached the domain in under an hour, and Jimmy gave Radio a peck on the lips to change her back into a human, and the first thing they noticed was Rose Red and Rothberta waiting for them at the bottom of the stone steps. "So glad you two have made it," Rose said, greeting Jimmy and Radio each with a small hug. "Danny will be so enthralled…"

"Where is he?" Radio asked.

"He is upstairs, at the moment." Rothberta replied, pompously. "I had advised him it would be a good idea to shower himself before his guests' arrivals…"

"…For the eighteenth time this week," Rose whispered to the other two.

_I can tell this woman ain't gonna like me too soon. _Jimmy thought, studying Rothberta.

"Allow me to introduce our guests, Ro'hberta. This young lad is Jimmy Krook, Danny's cousin," …Rothberta sniffed in disapproval, and Jimmy had to hold back a sneer. "And his lady friend is Princess Nadine Juliet Tianavene of Mandonia…"

"Mandonia doesn't have a princess!" Rothberta huffed.

"Well, actually, ma'am…" Radio said, sheepishly. "I was a princess in Mandonia… two hundred years ago. You see, I was cursed by a sorcerer, changed into a cat and-"

Rothberta huffed again. "Such wild stories…" she turned to Rose. "I suggest we have this girls' records checked before she is to stay with us-"

"RADIO! JIMMY!" A voice called, and Danny came running down the steps, his hair still wet, and immediately hugged his friends. "Oh, it's so good to see you again!"

"It's wonderful to see you as well, Daniel!" Radio beamed.

"Ditto, now let us go before you cut off our oxygen," Jimmy grunted.

Rothberta was about to interject and bring up how a prince should remain composure and shake hands, and not take in rudeness from Jimmy, but Rose beat her to the punch. "Come along, we'll give you a tour," she said, guiding their guests along, and turned to Rothberta. "Keep an eye out for any other guests, would you Ro'hberta? And PLEASE keep the comments to yourself, next time."

Rothberta grinded her teeth, but obeyed.

Jimmy, however, smirked. As they walked, he developed plans on what he could do to the old hag that would make his stay memorable, and her job miserable.

0o0o0o0o0o0

The tour ended in the lounge, where the three friends decided to catch up on what had happened since graduation, while Rose went to have the servants prepare a specific dinner that would fit the occasion. Once Jimmy and Radio asked Danny if anything interesting had gone on, he decided to start with how he was to find a princess to be a queen, getting it off his chest first. "…And Ro'hberta keeps pressuring me every time I turn one down," he was saying. "The last princess I met brought up being unable to lie comfortably on her bed because there was a pea stuck under the mattresses, and Ro'h bellowed at me for being finicky because I said I wouldn't want to share a bed with a woman who'd be disturbed because of what was under the mattress!"

Jimmy and Radio had to laugh. "Yeah, I'd keep making up excuses if I were to be forced to marry some stranger," Jimmy said.

"I know how you feel, Daniel- I was betrothed myself, once." Radio said, letting out a sigh. "So… what did Rudy say when you told him?"

"Come to think of it, where IS Rude-Boy?"

Danny arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean?" he asked.

"Hasn't he arrived yet?" Radio asked. "We got a text from him saying that he was already here…"

Danny shook his head, confused. "No… He hasn't shown up at all."

"This doesn't make sense…" Jimmy said, rubbing his chin. "If Rudy said he was here, but isn't, then why…?"

"I believe I have an answer to the whereabouts of Rudy," A voice said, and everyone turned, their jobs dropping.

Standing in the doorway was their old friend Izzy… only her skin was pale and she had cat-ears and a tail.

"The reason why Rudy isn't here… is because he has been kidnapped."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Cliffhanger! …Sorry about such a horrible chapter, I just wanted to build up some suspense.

Please review. No flames, or else I'll feed you to my ferocious ferret. (say THAT five times fast!)


	10. Izzy's Case

Well, I can't take my own suspense, so here's a new chapter!

**Reviewer Th- why is that kitten staring at me?**

**Starspring: **Who says the castle is hidden? …No one would want Rothberta as a chambermaid (suits better as a chamber-pot HA) Yep, couldn't keep Izzy from the story for more than one chapter ^-^ …Yes. Poor Rudy.

**Fangface the Second: **Glad you see you enjoyed Izzy's arrival. …Yay, Calvin and Hobbes! (they were actually based off a couple historian figures, I've learned).

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

If Radio and Jimmy had visited Rudy's house first, they would've learned that he hasn't been in contact with his parents for nearly three years, and even missed his first day at college… (once Mr. and Mrs. Homes got over the shock of seeing Jimmy again)

If they had investigated their old house further, they would've found a clue in the guest bedroom, where there were signs of a struggle…

Luckily, a certain vampire cat-girl decided to drop on by near the end of the summer, to pay a visit to her old friends… only to find a distraught family informing police about a missing boy, whom she was familiar with.

"…Pent Towers often checks headlines of the anti-supernatural papers, just to make sure there isn't anything paranormal within the lines," Izzy explained. "When I heard Rudy was missing, I contacted the warden to see if she had anything on any kidnappings in the area, but there was none." she sighed, shaking her head. "She gave me a list of more recent kidnappings, and I started to investigate, traveling from England to the United States, investigating nearly every missing-person's case, but without a lead."

Jimmy, Radio, and Danny didn't say anything, but silently urged Izzy to go on.

"I decided to go back to the Homes family, waiting until the police were less involved (they don't take well to knowing that supernaturals work on their cases), and asked for information on when they last saw him- explaining I was a detective hired by one of his school friends to search for him… Nadine, I used your name."

Radio would have made many critical remarks, though she kept quiet, concern being the only thing holding her tongue.

"They told me that the last they saw him was at your house, Jimmy, saying he was watching over it for you, and immediately started searching the house for clues."

_Something we should have done… _Radio thought. "Did you find anything?" she asked.

Izzy sighed, shaking her head. "Just that there was a mess in one of the bedrooms, and he left his cell phone," she took out the phone, setting it on the table. "I wanted to inform you all right away, but I couldn't find your exact locations…" she looked at Jimmy and Radio. "And tried to get to you, but some batty old woman said you had no time to chit-chat."

_I am going to send Rothberta to the gallows for this… _Danny thought, rage building up in him.

Izzy hung her head. "I tried contacting you guys via Rudy's cell- I don't have one of my own, never liked to use them much- but Danny was never near his cell and you two seemed to be out of network range, so I decided to get back to the investigation myself. It wasn't easy… I kept going back to the house, scanning every inch for something to give me a lead… though the warden kept giving me new cases, which- most of them involving travel- I used to my advantage, looking in every location for a pattern in every crime… but no prevail."

"So… it was you who replied on Rudy's phone?" Danny guessed, and Izzy nodded.

"What I want to understand is, if Rudy's been missing for so long, why did he just message us three days ago?" Jimmy demanded.

"That, my friend, is why I'm here." Izzy said, reaching into her pocket. "You see, I went back to the house once more, and found this…" she pulled out a cord, which seemed to be a laptop charger. "A laptop charger- without a laptop." she then stood up, pacing in front of them. "I believe that, whoever kidnapped Rudy, abducted his computer as well, possibly in hopes of tracing your whereabouts, and it is here I state my hypothesis: This isn't just a kidnapping. It's the first act of revenge."

Radio gasped; Danny gawked; and Jimmy stood up and stepped up to Izzy. "Who has him?"

Izzy gave him a look. "Think of one person who would stop at nothing for revenge- who's still alive, I should add."

The threesome thought about it. So many villains were out for revenge against them, and nearly all of them had met their demise in the process…

Except one.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

_Anthony closed the laptop, a malicious smirk on his face. Thanks to some 'reliable' resources (via Facebook), he now knew where to locate the last pieces of the vengeance-puzzle. He walked out of the office, down the corridor, passing a few of his kin who stood guard at the cells of all his previous captured monsters, whom he had yet to execute right away._

_He walked into a cell, which was guarded by a tiger-like were-cat, and walked across to a figure chained to the wall, long hair covering their face, wearing dirty tights covered by a short skirt, and a small tank top. "Well, my little girl, it seems you and your pitiful friends will be having a reunion…" he said, then whipped out his sword, holding it up to his prisoner's chest, though they didn't flinch. "In the after-life!"_

"_Leave her alone!" shouted a young man chained to an adjacent wall. He had blonde hair, green eyes, and a thin beard, and wore a torn T-shirt and ragged jeans. "You've put her through enough misery!"_

_Anthony sneered and pointed his sword at the man. "I'd watch your mouth, faggot, or do I have to display another act of torture…" he turned back to the girl, caressing her chin. "On your precious pet, here?"_

"_I swear on all that's holy, if you-!"_

"_Save your breath! You'll want to use it for your last words, anyway." With that, Anthony walked out._

_The were-cat stepped outside, seeing that the sun was setting… and just a short hundred miles away, his newest prisoners were awaiting his arrival._

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: I have a habit of jumping to the plot, but I love spreading a mystery. ^-^

Please review. No flames, or the rubber-chicken gets it! (holds up rubber chicken, pointing a fork at it) I'm not kidding!


	11. A Shocking WTF Moment, Plus A Cliff

So… who needs a new chapter to lift their spirits? Anyone? Anyone at all? …Ah, yes, you in the back? …No, the guy next to you. …No, no, not you, the other guy. …Yes, you. You need a new chapter? …Oh, you don't? …How about you, in front? …You do? Alrighty then! Here we go!

**Reviewer Thanks (I need a cookie)**

**Scoobycool9: **(yay, new reviewer!) You'll find out who the girl is in time ;) …As for Anthony getting his real first kiss… (does the forced-one count?) probably not.

**Elizabeth: **You've summed up everything, once again. …And yes, Disney DOES tend to cut out a few classic FT ideas- that's where I add in my own tweaking!

**Starspring: **You'll see. …Yes, Facebook is the one place where you can stalk until you drop (don't ask how I know that *whistles innocently*) And there's a lot of modern-day castles still-standing (the Queen of England lives in a castle, doesn't she?). Plus, this is Fairytale-based, so you'll see a lot of castles… lots n lots of castles… castles galore… castles for all! Castle castle castle! CASTLE! (…huh, you know, the more you write out 'castle' the stranger the spelling appears?)

0o0o0o0o0

_I was thinking about her, thinking 'bout me_

One minute, he was in the empty studio, practicing his dancing, dreaming up new moves, trying to keep his rhythm… It was the only thing that kept his mind clear during that summer, taking his mind off his worries. Since he hardly ever lived with his parents and barely saw his siblings anymore, he finally felt he could be his own man, and pursue his heart's desire.

To dance.

_Thinking of us, what we gonna be_

Yet, as he danced, he was always alone, no one ever wanted to be his partner… and in his loneliness, he recalled how he always had someone at his side, and wished they were with him now. Oh, how he wished to dance with them, and even dreamed up fantasies…

"_You have an excellent form…" _they would say to him, whispering softly into his ear as they held him close. _"So well-balanced, so light, so… flexible,"_

The last word would let him unleash a shiver, but not out of fear. No, out of pleasure… _"You're quite swift yourself… As if your moves were poetry that could not be written," _he would reply.

"_Then let us combine our moves, and write an unforgettable ode…" _and they'd run their fingers through his hair as he caressed their face, their lips slowly coming closer…

_Open my eyes, yeah, it was only just a dream_

Then he'd awake, only to realize he was still chained to the wall. He looked across at his cell-mate, guilt welling up inside him, realizing the fate they were forced to share… _If only the others were here… _he thought, but banished the idea.

_So I traveled back, down that road_

He wouldn't want his friends to be here, where they would be forced to deal with Anthony's torture… let alone find out how much he had changed, since the day his prince had left.

_Will she come back? No one knows_

What would they think of him now? If they found out how he was pursuing his dream and met his new friend, would they be happy for him? Or would they laugh at him… and cause hurt he wanted to avoid again?

He hung his head low. Thinking about his friends was the only thing that kept him alive during these three years… but now, it was starting to kill him.

_I realized, yeah_

_It was only just a dream_

0o0o0o0o0o0

Jimmy was in the process of informing Silver of Rudy's disappearance while Danny informed his aunt. Radio and Izzy both sat in the lounge, the cat-girl covering her tearful face while the vampire-cat-girl patted her on the back in comfort. "If only I had stayed with him…" Radio sobbed. "If only I was there to help, rather than trying to find out information about this wretched curse I'm under!"

"Then you'd have been kidnapped yourself," Izzy replied, sternly.

"At least Rudolph wouldn't have been alone! Or I'd find a way to help him escape! I… *sniffle* I just hope he's alive…"

"Well, if he isn't, then Anthony's gonna get the most painful spading in his life!"

Rothberta was in the room, a tad confused. "I don't understand. Who is this 'Rudolph' person you keep talking about? And who is this 'Anthony' fellow and what does he want with all of you? And why…" she asked, turning her attention on Radio. "Do you keep bringing up a curse?"

Izzy sneered at her. "Boy, woman, you haven't got out much in the past century, have you?" Rothberta scowled at her comment.

"As preposterous as it may sound, Ro'hberta, my friends and I have gone through quite a, ah, enchanting journey in the past," Radio said to the chambermaid, motioning her to take a seat. "If you don't mind hearing the tale, I would gladly fill you in."

"Alright…" Rothberta sighed, sitting down across from Radio. "Would you care to start at this 'curse' business, so we may get that out of the way?"

"Certainly."

While Radio told Rothberta about how she had become a cat, Izzy walked over to Jimmy, who just finished informing his foster-father. "Silver said he'd be coming." he said, solemnly. "I told him to find my friend, Al, and he'd get him here by tonight. …How's Rad?"

Izzy looked over at Radio. "She's pretty choked up about Rudy missing," she replied, sighing. "She really cares about that kid."

"Mm. Doesn't surprise me…" Jimmy mumbled.

Izzy arched an eyebrow. "Care to elaborate on that statement?"

Jimmy shrugged. "Ah, ever since we talked to Danny, all she talked about the last three days was how happy she was to see Rudy again, like she still has a crush on him or something."

"And… this bothers you?"

"Pfft. No. Radio and I've been growing distant for over a year now. I'm just waiting for her to tell me whether she wants to keep a steady relationship or not… and if she can't get over Rudy, then I'll call the shot."

Izzy nodded solemnly. "I see. …Have you've brought this up to her before?"

Jimmy only shrugged. "Once. I talked about taking a break, but she said she didn't want to lose the 'bond' that we've developed… not that it matters anymore, anyway."

Izzy opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by a loud gasp.

"You cannot be serious!" Rothberta was saying, her expression full of shock.

"What's going on?" Danny asked, he and Red Rose turning their attention to the chambermaid.

Rothberta only ran out of the lounge, muttering "Can it be? …No, impossible, it was just a myth… but her story practically matches! But she can't be, they all disappeared… didn't they?"

Everyone looked at each other, completely confused.

The chambermaid returned minutes later, carrying a large, dusty book that looked like it hadn't been off the shelf for centuries. "Ro'hberta, what is the matter?" Red Rose demanded.

"Nadine- er, 'Radio'- told me something that… well, I don't think I'll be able to believe it, unless…" Rothberta was stammering, flipping through the pages of the book, having a plume of dust erupt with every flick. "Here we go! …Oh, my… It… It can't be true, it must be coincidence!"

"What are you yakking about?" Jimmy sneered.

"It… She… This… I can't…"

"For gosh-sakes, woman! Speak the king's language!" Izzy snapped.

Red Rose was reading the book over Rothberta's shoulder, and her eyes widened. "Look!" she gasped, pointing at a page…

"_Centuries ago, when the Charmm Castle was first built," _the paragraph began. _"There had been rivalry between two kingdoms, one from Mandonia and the other from Britalva, both of which shared a boarder and wanted to rule the land. King Nathaniel Tianavene III and Lord Jacob Charmm both came to an agreement, having Tianavene's third daughter wed Charmm's second son, come the day of the young prince's 18th__ birthday. _

"_However, on the eve before the princess' 15__th__ birthday, the night before the union was to take place, she had disappeared. Charmm believed that Tianavene had sent his daughter away, in order to call off the union, and cursed the entire family to 'dwell forever in their animalistic and boorish ways, until the day the two royal families' betrothment is fulfilled._

"_No one knows whether Tianavene was insulted and left the land, or whether the entire family died grieving from the loss of their beloved Princess Nadine, but for reasons unknown the family had vanished. Britalva and Mandonia were never united._

"_Most historians give thought about this legend, some who's ancestor's had been servants in that period, stating that there was, indeed, an actual curse, for an old page torn from what appeared to be a journal had read, '…And when I had entered the throne room, upon the King's throne sat a white wolf, with a vixen at his side; a trio of swans sitting near the library; and a curious raven taking flight out of the prince's room and out the window…'_

"_No one knows what this message meant, yet during the years, everyone had forgotten about the legend, believing it to be a myth…"_

No one said a word for what seemed like hours, the shock mingling with the silence, as if they all had just witnessed an unusual phenomenon.

"Radio… please tell me you were the first, second, or fourth born in your family…" Danny said at last.

"I'm afraid… I was the third…" Radio replied, her voice shaking.

"Wait, you mean…?" Jimmy began, but was too stunned to continue.

"Radio is supposed to marry Danny?" Izzy cried out.

0o0o0o0o0o0

**Jimmy's POV**

Ho. Ly. Shit.

_I was at the top, now it's like I'm in the basement_

I knew Radio had a past life, but… Holy shit.

_Number one spot, now she found her a replacement_

I re-read the page over and over, hoping to find a glitch, but it was set in stone. Radio had been betrothed to Danny's ancestor, and now- the only way to break the curse- was for her to… oh, man, I don't know if I'll be able to comprehend this.

_I swear now I can't take it_

_Knowing somebody's got my baby_

"Radio…" Red Rose said, slowly. "You told us that, in order to break your spell, you had to marry into a family you were betrothed to. …Can you remember if they had a different name?" From the sound of her voice, I could tell she was thinking the same thing I was: This could NOT be happening.

Radio studied the paragraph, studying every word. "It's… coming back to me…" she said, wincing as if the memory gave her a headache. "That picture, the one of the two families… that man to the right looks exactly like my father, and the man in front of him… has a striking resemblance to Daniel…"

_Now you ain't around, baby I can't think_

I looked at the picture. Sure enough, the two men seemed to match Radio and Danny's features exactly- same hair colors, same skin tones… heck Radio's dad even appeared to have a bit 'cat-like' eyes!

Suddenly, as the truth began to sink in, I felt as if my stomach was about to implode. Radio was to marry Danny- he's basically the only one closest to her age, and he IS supposed to find a queen… yet the idea made me want to hurl- not because of the whole 'matrimony' part, but the fact that SHE was to be part of it… with him… but not me.

_I should've put it down, should've got that ring_

"Well, then it's settled." Rothberta declared. "Nadine and Daniel shall be wed at once!"

"WHAT?" We all shouted.

"But she can't-" I stammered.

"I don't-" Danny stuttered.

"We've hardly ever-" Radio sputtered.

"I thought she-"

"I was-"

"I'm actually-"

We all looked at Elizabeth for support, since none of us were managing to complete a sentence. "Well…" she said, rubbing her chin. "Radio does need to get her curse lifted, and Danny does need a queen…"

'_Cause I can still feel it in the air_

_See her pretty face, run my fingers through her hair_

_No, no, NO… _I was screaming in my head.

…I'll admit by this point I don't know what was wrong with me. One minute, I'm griping about how Radio won't stop thinking about Rudy and how we ought to just end it and move on, and now I'm wishing we had worked on keeping our relationship more stable.

"However…" Elizabeth continued. "Unless Radio or Danny can find a good reason NOT to be wed, or if there's anyone who could object to the union (other than themselves), the plan may be called off." Her eyes seemed to be looking at me, suddenly.

_Of course! I could object! I could say that Radio and I were already a couple, and she was off the market! _I thought, my heart racing. …Problem was, I couldn't speak. WHY couldn't I speak?

_My love of my life_

_My shawty, my wife_

Radio and I looked at each other, and I saw her wince once more. "I have no objections…" she said quietly, turning away from me.

_She left me, I'm tied_

_NO! _I wanted to shout, I wanted to give reasons why it should be ME she should be with… but my mind was blank, and I didn't even give a single protest. What the fuck was wrong with me?

'_Cause I knew that it just ain't right_

"Daniel? What about you?" Elizabeth asked.

I looked at Danny… he seemed pale enough to put Izzy to shame. "I… I need some air," he said, then rushed out onto the balcony.

I gave Radio one last look before leaving the room, lost in thought. If I loved Radio, why didn't I say anything? Why didn't I jump in? Why was my mind filling with arguments that I didn't give? …Why didn't SHE say anything?

_I guess it's official. _I thought bitterly, looking out a window into the night. _We're over._

0o0o0o0o0

**Danny's POV**

It felt as if a brick hit me in the head, followed by a wrecking ball knocking me in the gut, and finally a semi smacking into me at 150 mph. …Radio? Me? Married? I mean, sure, she's a princess, I'm a prince, and we've known each other for a while, and I'd pick her out of any other princess I've been forced to court with, but… Me? Radio? Married?

_I was thinking about her, thinking 'bout me_

_Thinking of us, what we gonna be_

I felt nauseas… Being forced to marry was one thing, but being betrothed to a friend? Radio and I were hardly that close! Back in school, we hardly hung around each other alone. When we were separate, she was normally with Jimmy or…

_Open my eyes, yeah, it was only just a dream_

RUDY!

Good Lord above, how could I have forgotten about him? He's been kidnapped and God-knows what has happened to him, and the rest of us have just been thinking about my unexpected matrimony? WHAT THE HELL WAS WRONG WITH US?

_So I traveled back, down that road_

_If she comes back, no one knows_

"ELIZABETH!" I cried, running toward the door. "We forgot about Ru-"

*THONK!*

Before I could finish my outburst, someone hit me over the head, and everything went black.

_I realized, yeah_

_It was only just a dream_

0o0o0o0o0

A/N: The song mentioned is "Just a Dream" by Nelly. I figured it would add to the 'romance-related drama' of this story, thinking it would fit.

So… yeah. Left you with another cliffy.

Please review. No flames. …No, really. Keep them to yourselves. …Seriously.


	12. A Slight Detour

Doom, doom doom, doom doom doomy doom doom de doom… (notices reader) Whoops! Forgot I had to open a new chapter. (turns to Gir) Sorry, Gir, we'll have to continue our duet later.

Gir: OKAY! (flies out window)

Okay then… Well. Here's a new chapter.

**Reviewer Thanks and Tiquitoes 8P**

**Starspring: **I love chocolate chip! :D For a reward, Rudy will get saved by the end of the chapter (that, and because I'm bored with him being held captive). …You'll find out who the girl is soon (I know I've been saying that a lot, but this time I mean it). …All will be clear eventually. …Yes, that's the shock of the century, isn't it? …I believe your hunch is correct. (starts eating cookie) Thanks again! *munch munch*

**Fangface the Second: **Quite a twist, eh? ;)

**Scoobycool9: **Your questions shall be answered by the end of the chapter ;)

0o0o0o0o0

Anthony stood over Danny after knocking him out, his cattish grin expanding. "Fear not, Young Prince… I'll be sure you see your friend before your execution," he said.

"And I'll be sure you get a good spaying!" came a voice.

"What the fu-"

*BAM!*

Anthony turned around and was greeted by a fist to the face, flying back into the lounge, much to the shock of Red Rose, Radio, Rothberta and Izzy. "Hey, Cat-Man! We were just talking about you," Izzy said casually, grabbing Anthony by the throat and pulling him up to eye-level. "Now, tell us where you're hiding our friend, before I kick your ass."

In response, Anthony swiped at her face, making her lean her head back to avoid getting her face shredded… a move the cat-creature was anticipating, for he swung his other fist and punched her in the stomach, then flipped her over his hip. "Ah, Detective, we meet again. You look different, I see… though your personality could use some adjustment." he retorted, taking out his sword, holding it at her throat.

Another blade was pointed at his own throat. "I suggest, unless you want to lose one of your nine lives, you answer our questions and lead us to Rudy." Red Rose demanded, sternly.

Anthony backed away, facing Red Rose and pointing his sword at her. "The only way you'll be seeing him would be by allowing yourselves to become captive!"

"Yeah, like we're going to allow THAT," Radio sneered, approaching Anthony. "I demand you tell us where you're keeping Rudolph!"

Anthony scoffed. "You honestly think I'd tell a used-to-be princess, who couldn't even win the man of her dreams and break her curse?"

"How did you know that Rudy dumped Radio?" Izzy asked (earning a glare from Radio).

The cat-creature smirked. "It's amazing the kind of stories your prisoners will tell you when you make them suffer…"

"You son of a-" Radio ran at Anthony, who quickly turned and stabbed her in the stomach! "Agh!"

Red Rose lunged, but before she could to anything, a dark-blue, white-diamond-embedded carpet flew in and wrapped itself around Anthony's face! Soon, a vase was thrown at his head as he tried to pull the rug off, and Izzy tripped him and made him hit the floor on his back, his sword falling out of his hand. He ripped the carpet off his face and tried to grab his sword… but a black boot slammed on top of it. He looked up, seeing the glowering face of… "Oh, not YOU…"

"This is for stabbing my girl," Jimmy snapped, punching Anthony between the eyes, his werewolf-strength rendering the cat-creature going unconscious. He stood up straight, looking at the doorway. "About TIME you guys got here. I thought traveling by carpet was supposed to be QUICK."

Silver shrugged as Al dragged Danny back in, lying him on the sofa. Radio sat up, her wound quickly healing. _Glad cats have nine lives, _she thought.

"We would've got here sooner, but we got a little delayed," Al said to Jimmy.

"How?" Izzy asked.

Silver sighed, shaking his head. "You guys aren't going to believe this…" he said, and began to tell them what happened.

0o0o0o0o0o0

**Silver's POV**

_20 Minutes Previous…_

"I just got a message from Jimmy. Rudy's been kidnapped, and Anthony's behind it," I told Blu, packing a duffel bag while she sat on the couch, staring at the television- even though it wasn't on. "I don't know how long I'll be gone, but just keep an eye on the place, alright?"

"Uh-huh," she said automatically.

Knowing Blu for a few years, it didn't seem like her to just ignore a situation like this- especially if it involved getting to leave Fairytale Land. I'd ask her what her problem was, but I've had enough experience living with her to know that she wouldn't tell me anything, so I left that matter alone… for now. "You want to come along? It may get you out of the land for a while,"

Blu shrugged. "Sure… I don't have anywhere else to hang around, anyway."

I had to feel sorry for the kid. She had lost her job, her home, and every ounce of her temper all in one day… let alone finding out her aunt and uncle had been hiding a security box from her that legally belonged to her (I didn't blame her for wanting to slit their throats). …I know how it feels to lose something, but I wasn't going to swap feelings.

I had a son who needed me first.

There was a tapping on the window, and outside floated some Middle East kid riding a flying carpet- Jimmy's friend, Al, I knew (I recognized his face from the papers). "Jimmy sent me a text. Need a lift?" he asked.

"Yeah, we need to get to Britalva, and stat!" I told him.

"Britalva?" he let out a descending whistle. "Boy, the situation must be pretty serious if you're going THAT far,"

"Can you get us there?" Blu asked.

Al rubbed his chin. "Well, I can… but I don't have enough room on Carpet for more than one passenger- he sorta shrunk in the wash, you see- so I'll have to make a second trip…"

Blu raised her hand. "Save it." she turned to me. "Better get on, Silver. No telling how much longer Rudy's life will hang in the balance,"

I climbed on. "You sure you don't want to leave?" I asked her.

"Jimmy sent for you, not me. …Besides, with you on your trip, I may just get a bit of peace and quiet for once," She smirked.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "That's asking a little TOO much if you live in this land, Blu." I put a hand on her shoulder. "Just take care of yourself, alright?"

She gave a small smile, nodding. "I will if you will- and be sure to bring my cousin back alive!"

I laughed as the carpet took to the skies, giving one last glance back toward the city as we flew. "So, how fast can this carpet go?" I asked Al.

He smirked. "You've never flown by carpet, have you?" he questioned, and I shrugged in reply. "I'll tell you this much, then: You'd better hang on tight!"

All I had to say for the remainder of the trip was, traveling on a magic carpet- not all that fun. Exciting, but not fun.

You remember all those Disney-tweaked Aladdin movies, where the street rat is flying on his carpet and it seems like it's traveling only, perhaps, 75 miles an hour? Let me tell you something: DISNEY LIED. The carpet I was on right now was traveling fast enough to make a jet-plane jealous! I swear to God, my eyelids fluttered over my head!

No wonder Jimmy recommended Al's transportation- this rug was frickin' _fast!_

"You holding up back there?" Al shouted back to me- probably because we broke the sound-barrier.

I couldn't reply, because I think I felt us time-warp, feeling a lurch from the carpet…

It wasn't a lurch, as we figured out, having been forced to slow down and plummet to the ground after something got chucked through the rug. "HANG ON!" Al cried, trying to get the rug to pull up as we nosedived toward the earth…

*Crunch!*

I'll have to give whoever planted a rose-bush a "Thank You for Breaking My Fall" card… right after I plucked the thorns out of my back.

"What the hell was THAT all about?" I snapped as we stumbled out, brushing ourselves off.

Al examined the carpet, seeing a gash that had been torn through it. Off to the side, an arrow lay on the ground. "Someone was expecting us," he said, solemnly.

I looked around, but didn't see a trace of our attacker. "We'd better keep moving, then."

"It'll take Carpet a few minutes to heal himself," Al rolled up the rug and started walking. "We'd better lay low somewhere until he's ready to fly again."

I arched an eyebrow. "Your rug can heal?"

Al shrugged. "Well, it IS a _magic _carpet."

I figured after this was over, I'd write to Disney and tell them to stop butchering fairytales and put in _all _the facts.

"Silver? Is that you?" a voice asked. I turned around, seeing a woman with graying blonde hair and green eyes, standing in the doorway.

Rudy's mom.

"Vanessa!" I gasped, realizing that we were in the Homes' yard… and had completely ransacked the rose-bushes. "Um, sorry about your bush, you see…"

"I haven't seen you for years… not since… well, that incident at the graduation," She blushed a bit, then looked at Al. "Who's this?"

"I'm a friend of his son's," Al replied, nodding his head toward me. "You two know each other?"

"Well, yes, our kids went to the same school…" she began to wince, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Is there something wrong, ma'am?"

She sniffled. "Oh, I'm sorry, it's just… We haven't heard from Rudy for a while, not since he left for college, and… well, just thinking about him worries me." she sighed, shaking her head. "But, I'll get into that later. Silver, what brings you back? Where's Jimmy and Radio? Oh, please, come in, come in…"

We followed her into the house, sitting in the living room as she brought us some coffee. Mr. Homes wasn't around, it appeared. "So… Rudy hasn't spoken lately, huh?" I asked, sipping my coffee. "Odd, because he had just spoken to Jimmy a couple days ago."

I didn't have the heart to tell her that her son had been kidnapped, especially since she looked ready to burst into tears now.

She unleashed another sigh. "I wouldn't be surprised that he was still talking to his friends… after all, THEY weren't the ones who-" she began, but stopped short.

I arched an eyebrow. "Weren't the ones who… what?" I pressed. "Did something happen before Rudy was- before Rudy left for college?"

Mrs. Homes shook her head. "Oh… he and his father just had a small argument and… well, since that night, we haven't heard from him. I figure he's still mad, because of how Arthur believes he should be… oh, it's not my business to say. I just believe that, because of their fight, Rudy doesn't feel like having anything to do with his father right now."

_That sounds familiar. _I thought, remembering how- after finding him after all these years- Jimmy held a grudge against his real father, Robin, because he had skipped out on him and his mother before the rebel was born, and had been hiding his guilt since then. …I couldn't blame Jimmy for hating him- though it was hard for me NOT to punch the guy after meeting him.

"Speaking of our sons, anyway… What was that case with Jimmy back at graduation?" Mrs. Homes asked me.

I saw this one coming. "Ah, Jimbo just wanted to pull a joke and put on a set of wolf-ears… though Danny decided to add-on to the trick by gluing them to his head, making everyone believe they were real." I responded… and I felt stupid that none of us had ever come up with this story in the first place.

"They seemed pretty attached…"

"Rudy helped. Jimmy said he worked on costumes during play-practice, so he must've known a way to make them look convincing."

"But… then why did you leave in a haste?"

I shrugged, feigning a chuckle. "Ah, Jim was just freaking out 'cuz the ears wouldn't come off- we end up having to shave his head. We ran after him, trying to get him to come back, but he was too full of shame. …Ah, it'll teach him a lesson in having a prank go too far."

"I see… You all also took off that very night. Rudy said you all left town."

I sighed. "Family emergency. We got a call that evening that a pair of my relatives had died, leaving their daughter an orphan, and I was the only one closest to them who they trusted to look after her."

…I kept myself from thinking about what would happen if Blu found out I used her tragic life-story as a back-up story.

"So, we packed up our bags to take care of her, just until she graduated school herself, which happened to be this month. She's in college now."

My lie must've sounded convincing, because I didn't see a hint of questioning on Mrs. Homes' face, but instead concern. "Oh my… that's terrible. I'm truly sorry," she said, shaking her head and taking a sip of her coffee. "So, did Jimmy and Radio come back with you?"

"Not exactly. They took off to meet up with Danny, have a little get-together. I'm meeting up with Elizabeth later, tonight, for our own rendezvous."

"Ah. …So, what exactly were you doing in my rose bushes, if you were going off to meet Elizabeth?"

"That was my fault, ma'am," Al replied, looking embarrassed. "You see, I got this rug to give to my grandmother for her birthday- she lives nearby- and I was shaking it to get some dust off of it- got it in an antique store, it was pretty old- and I accidentally hit Silver upside the head with it while we were walking down the block, and knocked him into the bushes."

It was a lame alibi, but apparently Mrs. Homes bought it. "Oh, it's alright." she then rubbed her chin. "I haven't seen Elizabeth in a while, either. She said she was taking Danny to go visit a college, but…"

"Oh, she's been traveling," I said, quickly. "She met up with a couple old friends and have been traveling the country, seeing new sights… I think it's because she hit menopause and needed to do something to make herself feel young again, I don't know."

Mrs. Homes shrugged. "Mm. Can't argue with that. I ought to take a trip myself… Maybe I'll go visit Rudy sometime."

"Maybe." I looked at my watch, feigning surprise. "Whoa! We'd better get going. Nice meeting up with you again, Vanessa! Don't be a stranger."

"Alright. Have a safe trip! Hope to see you again-"

Before she was finished, we were out the door, running into a deserted alley, hopping on the now-fully-repaired flying carpet and shooting off toward Danny's castle at the speed of light…

Just in time to see Anthony ambush Danny.

0o0o0o0o0o0

**3rd**** Person POV**

_Present Time…_

"'Hide my shame'?" Was the first thing Jimmy said once Silver finished, giving his foster-dad a look.

"Oh, how awful…" Radio gasped, wincing. "Mrs. Homes must be so heart-broken…"

"I wonder what Rudy and his father had fought about," Izzy said.

"What I want to know is…" Danny said, now conscious and approaching Anthony. "Where _is _Rudy?"

Anthony glowered. "I'm not saying shit," he spat.

"Then don't say 'shit', say where you're hiding Rudy!" Jimmy growled, grabbing the cat-creature by the throat. "Or do I have to-"

"His castle!" Izzy said, snapping her fingers. "He must be at his castle!"

Anthony sneered. "Why would I hide him someplace THAT obvious?" he scoffed.

"Because, having been trying to track you down for a while, I know a lot about you, especially how your brain works. You'd figure that your castle was the first place the Pent Towers authorities met you was outside your castle, let alone it was a castle you stole from an ogre after slaying it. You knew that we would figure it was such an obvious location for you to go, so we wouldn't bother checking, so you knew it would be a perfect place to hide."

If anyone were to comprehend what Izzy had just said, they were having trouble showing it.

Anthony huffed. "That's ridiculous! Such a theory wouldn't even be worth being thought up by a monkey!" he sneered.

"Watch it, pal! My best friend is a monkey!" Al snapped.

"So… if we were to go to your castle, we wouldn't find anything?" Jimmy asked, smugly. "Lets just see who's right, then."

The shock in Anthony's eyes was enough to prove that Izzy's detective skills hadn't lost their touch.

0o0o0o0o0o0

It was a matter of minutes before they were throwing Anthony into the dungeon and speeding toward his castle. Al allowed Danny, Jimmy, and Radio (in her cat-form) to use his carpet, knowing that the three friends would want to be the first to see if Rudy was alright.

Sneaking into the castle wasn't difficult, for upon looking through a window, they noticed that all the guards had decided to have a poker-tournament in Anthony's absence. Before they could let their guard down, however, the group noticed that a couple cat-creatures were patrolling the corridors- up until Jimmy knocked them out once they rounded a corner, snatching the keys off of them.

"Now, lets find Rude-Boy," Jimmy said, and began to do the most curious thing: sniff the ground like a hound-dog.

Al had to stifle a laugh.

"He's this way!"

Following Jimmy, the group ran down the corridor. As they ran, Radio gave Danny a glance. "Daniel… about our betrothment…" she said, sheepishly.

"Trust me, I have just as many objections as you do," Danny replied, giving her a sly look. "I know you have some, despite that you don't."

They decided to leave the conversation there, for they suddenly stopped in front of a dungeon. "I see a familiar blonde-head…" Jimmy said, smirking. Without hesitation, he broke down the door.

"What the…?" The familiar blonde-haired man gasped, looking up.

"Rudolph!" Radio exclaimed, hugging him, while Al picked the locks to his shackles, while Jimmy freed the mysterious girl. "Oh, thank God you're okay!"

He blinked. "Well… I'm happy that you're happy I'm alive, but…"

"But what?" Izzy asked.

"Well, it may come as a shock…"

"What is it?" Danny asked.

"I hate to break it to you, because…"

"Just spit it out, Rudy!" Silver scoffed.

Jimmy helped the girl up, getting a better look at her face, which had recently been blocked by her long blonde hair. "Um… guys?" he said, shocked.

"YOU'RE HERE!" The girl exclaimed, hugging the breath out of Jimmy first. "Oh, thank God you came… thank God… I thought I'd never see you guys again… oh, thank God…"

Everyone looked at the girl now… seeing that she had green eyes, a ridiculously flat-chest… a bit of facial hair… and her tone wasn't very feminine at all…

"You see… I'm not Rudy," The blonde-haired man said, pointing to the so-called girl. "He is."

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: HA! Weren't expecting THAT, were you? XD (I love messing with readers, sorry). Review.


	13. Rude Looks Like A Lady!

Due to the ending of the last chapter, I couldn't resist an immediate update!

**Thanks for Reviewers**

**Scoobycool9: **To ease your confusion, perhaps ;)

**Elizabeth: **Meh, his moves are a bit rusty, I guess. …Rosebushes are natures prickly pillows. …I'll drink to that! *sips soda* …Rofl NO ONE was expecting it! XD (I will explain why he's in a dress later). …THANK YOU for reminding me of that! (I nearly forgot it!) …BTW, how did you do that flamey-eye thing in your last review?

**Starspring: **True, Anthony's mind is clouded with so much revenge that he doesn't really think his plans through that well (either that, or I'm losing my touch! O.O) …We all want magic carpets (it would save us gas-money). …Yes, the explanation SHOULD be good ;)

0o0o0o0o0

No one said a word, but just looked at the 'girl' who they claimed was actually Rudy. "Um… Rudy? Is that you?" Izzy asked, eyes wide.

"Why the hell are you wearing a dress?" Jimmy asked him immediately.

"And who is this?" Red Rose asked, looking at the blonde-haired man before them.

Radio studied the man, as he faced them. "I happen to be a friend of Rudy's, who unfortunately became captured by that repulsive feline," he said, his voice sounding masculine, but with a twinge of feminine. "My name is-"

"Bartholomew!" Radio exclaimed, hugging him.

The man, Bartholomew, arched an eyebrow. "Um… how do you know me?"

"Don't you recognize me? It's me, Nadine!"

Bartholomew's eyes widened. "Nadine? My little sister is alive?" he hugged her tight. "Oh, thank God! I thought you were gone out of my life forever!"

Everyone else, however, were completely clueless. "Um… I'm lost. Did you say you both were _siblings?_" Izzy asked.

"Yes, long-lost to be exact, but…" he gave Radio an inquisitive glance. "Why are you a cat?"

Radio realized she was still in cat-form. "Whoops! Just a moment," she said, then ran over, kissed Jimmy on the lips, then changed back human… though her cat-ears and tail still poked out due to her excitement. "There we go."

Bartholomew's eyes widened. "You're a Furry, too?"

"Too?" Danny questioned.

Bartholomew stepped back, then spread out his arms. Black feathers grew out of them, expanding into wings, his legs became talons, and from his forehead down to his nostrils stuck out a beak. "Indeed. Too. I am a Raven-Furry."

"First Rudy turns out to be a cross-dresser, now it turns out the cat is related to a bird," Izzy said, rolling her eyes. "What's next?"

"Next, we get out of here before any guards show up!" Silver ordered.

"Wait, we must find my comrades, first." Bartholomew said. "I believe Anthony locked them in a cell down the corridor."

"Are they birds too?" Izzy asked.

"No, they're human… I think." Rudy said, rubbing his chin.

"Why are you in a dress?" Jimmy asked him again.

They ran down the corridor, coming across a cell, seeing two young men sitting on the floor, looking bored. "Guys!" Bartholomew exclaimed as they tore open the door. "Are you alright?"

"Well it's about time!" One of the two men scoffed. They were both twins, having shoulder-length black hair, wearing blue shirts, brown jeans, and both of them had golden-hazel eyes.

"We were wondering when YOU'D come up with an escape method," The other man replied.

"Escape method?" Bartholomew questioned.

"Yeah, we've been trying to bust out ever since we got here!" The twin on the left sneered, holding up an old notebook. "We've written down every plan we could think of…"

"…And tried to pull them off…" The twin on the right added.

"Only to end up getting thrown back in here again," They finished in unison.

The group looked around the room, seeing it was more well-inescapable than the other cells: Bolts of electricity were flashing on the bars, there were new bricks in the walls that seemed to fill large holes, there was video-cameras in every corner, the ceiling had spikes on it… and they now noticed that the twins' legs were stuck in what appeared to be freshly-poured cement that had hardened.

"Damn, you boys don't give up, do you?" Silver asked, looking through the notebook (his eyes widened at a page that included how to make dynamite out of straw and bread crumbs).

The twins gazed at Silver, their jaws dropping. "Master Silver! Is that you?"

Silver arched an eyebrow. "How… do you know me?"

"Don't you remember us? It's me, Drake!" The twin on the left exclaimed.

"And Derek!" The twin on the right added.

"Drake? Derek?" Izzy gasped, stepping in. "No frickin way… I thought you two were dead!"

"Izzy!" The twins exclaimed. "We thought you were dead, too!"

Suddenly, there came shouting from down the hall. "Hey, we'll have to continue these family-reunions later," Al said. "Right now, we'd better beat it!"

"But we're stuck!" Drake said.

"I'll fix that," Izzy said, then slammed her fists into the cement, making it crack and crumble around their ankles. She then pulled her brothers out of their prison. "Now, lets go!"

"How did you DO that?" Derek asked, awed.

"Less talk, more running!" Silver said, and they sprinted down the hall, out a window, and took of down the road.

Bartholomew and Izzy both flew, carrying Drake and Derek, Al flew on his carpet, and the others drove in a red SUV. "Well… that was a success," Red Rose said, cheerfully.

"Though, it seemed too easy…" Radio said, rubbing her chin. "I figured Anthony would have a few strings attached,"

"Hey, we got Rudy back, you and Izzy both found your brothers, and that cat-creep is locked in Danny's dungeon. Lets not spoil the moment too soon," Silver said.

"WHY are you in a dress?" Jimmy asked Rudy once more.

0o0o0o0o0

**Izzy's POV**

The first thing I did once we reached Danny's castle was sit down with my brothers in the lounge, while the others tended to Rudy and Barthvalous or whatever his name is. "I don't understand it…" I said to them, quietly. "When that mob came to Silver's castle, I saw you guys get your throats slit! How did you survive?"

Drake chuckled. "A lot of people in that mob didn't know vampires too well," he said.

"So they didn't know that it took more than a cut on the throat to kill one," Derek added. "Our wounds quickly healed, but we played dead until they left."

"What about Mom and Dad?" I asked, a bit of hope in my voice.

My brothers hung their heads low. "They weren't so lucky. They were completely decapitated," Drake said, while Derek made a 'slitting' motion across his neck. "Then they set fire to the castle, to make sure every vampire in the place was nothing but ash."

"That's when we escaped," Derek said. "We managed to sprout wings and dive out a window before the whole place caught fire…"

"Though, I wish we had practiced our flying more,"

"Yeah… crashed into some trees seconds later."

"We ran away from the town after that, looking for someone to help us, hoping to find Ashley Krook somewhere, and that's when we met Mew."

"Mew?" I questioned.

"Yeah, the raven-guy, remember?" Drake explained.

"We thought he was a talking crow at first," Derek said, chuckling. "We found that out after throwing a couple stones at him. …Anyway, turns out he was under a curse, so we decided- since we had so much in common- to let him hang out with us."

"We traveled around for years, sleeping in homeless shelters, eventually finding jobs as security guards in a small town,"

"Didn't last long, though. We spent most of the time sneaking into shops and messing with merchandise, and that didn't go down so well with any of the managers."

"Then the craziest thing happened. Mew went from a crow to a crow-human-combo! He was able to look like a human, turn half-bird, or turn into a giant raven whenever he got pissed."

_Almost like Radio…_ I thought, finding Mew's transformations all-too-familiar.

"But the weirdest thing was, at the same time, we turned human," Derek said. "No more fangs, no pale skin, no bat-wings…"

"All-man," Drake said with a sigh. "Which is a shame, because I miss being able to walk on the ceiling."

"Yet, here YOU are, still baring fangs," They said, giving me sly glances. "Any reason why that would be?"

"Well, to start off, I know how you guys changed human," I replied, then told them about how Silver met Jimmy- the son of Ashley Krook- managed to do what his mother couldn't and break Silver's curse (I had to scold them for taking this as a 'slash' offense), and how I became a detective and had a run-in with another vampire and Cat-Furry.

Drake let out a descending whistle. "Boy, sis, you've been through more fun than we thought!" he said.

"Yeah, must be cool to be tracking down monsters," Derek added.

I shrugged modestly. "Eh. It has its benefits." I said, smirking.

"Tell us about your wildest case,"

"Yeah, I want to hear what kind of dangers my little sister has been facing," Drake added.

I chuckled. "Well, there was this one time when I had to track down a madman named Jacque Custoe…" I replied.

As I told them about my past adventures, I felt an old warmth in my heart. It felt good to be around family again.

0o0o0o0o0o0

**Rudy's POV**

I never thought I'd see Danny again after the day we said goodbye…

I also didn't expect to get kidnapped by a cat-creature, get hauled off to his prison for three years, or find out that he'd been hacking into my laptop. …I hope he kept out of my e-mails…

I couldn't describe how happy I was to see everyone again, especially after what Anthony had put me through. There were times when I'd given up hope, believing that they would never come, or that Anthony had killed them and kept bragging about how he was going to capture and torture them just to lower my spirits, or that they had forgotten about me completely. Almost every night I'd dream that they'd come to my rescue, only to get slaughtered just as they opened the door to my cell, and I'd wake up, my heart shattering each time. …Yet, now, I knew that this couldn't be a dream. I was with my friends again; Silver, Radio, Jimmy, Izzy… Danny.

I didn't get my hopes up just yet, knowing that something would happen, and I'd wake up, only to find that it was just another dream.

_Well, if this is a dream, it's pretty vivid, _The optimistic side of my mind said as we walked into Danny's palace.

It was beautiful.

I remembered sitting in a tree by the river in my hometown, gazing at the castle from afar… and now I was inside it. Tapestries hung from the ceilings, realistic paintings hung on the walls, polished statues lined the corridors, velvet rugs covered gleaming white tiles… and the air-conditioning was nice, too.

We sat down in the living room (at least, I assumed it was. It had fine couches, a fireplace, a big screen TV, a stereo with surround-sound, and a coffee table). The first thing everyone wanted to know was what had happened to me, how I knew Bartholomew, and (most popular) why I was wearing a dress.

"It's a long story-" I began.

"It all happened a week into the summer," Bartholomew interrupted. "Rudy and I happened to sign up in the same dance studio and became partners… later, becoming more." he gave me a wink, and I smiled weakly.

"M-More?" Radio questioned.

"Oh, yes. Radio, this may come as a shock to you, but- well, I'm gay. I have no shame, either… especially since I found someone to call my own," he squeezed my hand. "Best part was, he didn't seem all that phased when I told him about being part-raven. Anyway, we were only two weeks into our new relationship when that awful cat-creature came along and took us away to his prison. I tried to turn into my raven-form to get us free, but the shackles he trapped us in were enchanted to cut off my shape-shifting ability. The best I could do for the both of us was keep faith, until the day we managed to escape," he grinned at everyone. "And what a relief to know that it was today! And as if a rescue wasn't enough, I've also found my dear sister…" he turned to Radio, holding her hands. "I thought you were lost forever, Nadine…"

"So… why is Rudy in a dress?" Jimmy asked for the umpteenth time that night.

Before I could reply, Bartholomew unleashed a heavy sigh. "Oh, it's tragic. Rudy was ashamed because so many homosexuals are shunned in society, and- in order to avoid any abuse- offered to dress up like a girl to protect our relationshi-"

"Can we talk about this tomorrow?" I asked quickly.

The clock chimed, and we noticed it was past midnight. "It is pretty late, isn't it?" Red Rose said. "And I'm sure you all would like to get some sleep after an ordeal. Danny, why don't you show everyone to their rooms?"

"Right," Danny said, and began leading us down the hall.

0o0o0o0o0o0

**Danny's POV**

I thought I wouldn't have to face any more shocks today.

I was wrong (of course).

Not only had Rudy been kidnapped, but he was also in a relationship with another man… who was also a raven… _How much has changed since we left? _I thought, looking back at Rudy, who was now holding hands with Bartholomew. I quickly looked away.

_Why are you so upset about it? _One part of my mind demanded. _You obviously didn't want a relationship with him, so of COURSE he decided to move along! The only thing you should be concerned about is what Anthony put him through…_

Anthony. I silently swore that he would face the guillotine for this! (Sometimes medieval punishment is the worst to go- and the bastard deserves it!)

"Here we are," I said once we reached the corridor where all our guest-rooms were. "Radio, you can have the door to the left; Jimmy, your room is right next door to Radio's; Rudy, your room is on the right, and I suppose Barthlomew can share a room with Rad-"

"Oh, I want to sleep with Rudy!" Bartholomew piped up eagerly, hugging Rudy tight.

The sentence made my stomach give a lurch.

"Um, alright…" I replied, rubbing the back of my neck. "I figured, since you and Radio have been apart for so long, you and her would like to share a room, and perhaps catch up."

"Yes, brother, can't we share a room?" Radio asked, pleadingly. "I want to know all what you've been up to since our separation."

Bartholomew smiled. "Oh, okay, but only because I missed my little sister so much!" he said. "Just let me say goodnight to Rudy,"

Jimmy stepped past me, toward his room. "I swear to God, if I hear ANYTHING coming from Rudy's room later tonight…" he muttered as he walked.

I watched as Bartholomew and Rudy walked into his room together, and suddenly I felt like heaving. _Oh, stop it. _I told myself. _You just wanted to stay friends with him, so now you're-_

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and looked to see Radio was at my side. "We must keep an eye on my brother," she whispered to me.

"Why?" I asked.

She gave me a solemn look. "Well, unless he's changed in the past 200 years… lets just say he's not exactly the most charming prince,"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**3****rd**** Person POV**

Bartholomew closed the door… then immediately slapped Rudy. "Don't interrupt me while we're having conversations," he hissed.

"Sorry… I was just tired," Rudy said, rubbing his cheek. "It's been three years since I've had an opportunity to sleep in a bed, you know."

Bartholomew sighed, resting his hands on Rudy's shoulders. "I'm sorry, Rudy… I just thought, for a second, you were embarrassed of me,"

Rudy shook his head. "No. Never."

"Good… because you know what I'm like when I get upset," With that, Bartholomew kissed his forehead. "Now, get some sleep. Tomorrow, we start living life again,"

Rudy nodded, watching him leave the room, then walked over to his bed. _…If life is still worth living… _he thought.

Bartholomew walked past Danny in the hall, and toward Radio. "So, tell me what you've been up to since you've disappeared, dear sister. And please don't leave out a single detail!"

"Well, I suppose I could fill you in on how I was cursed…" Radio said, giving Danny one last look before disappearing into her room with her brother.

Danny sighed, then walked down the hall, heading up a flight of stairs to his own room, hoping things would be better in the morning.

0o0o0o0o0

Anthony sat in the dungeon, his ears twitching, feeling a chair in the air. _'You are in the castle?' _a chilling voice asked.

"Yes," he replied in a whisper.

'_Good. Proceed to the next step,'_

Anthony grinned. "With pleasure."

0o0o0o0o0

A/N: What is Anthony up to? And what secret is Rudy hiding about Bartholomew? What will happen next?

Please review. No flames or a swarm of flying Chihuahuas will nest in your bathroom.


	14. Catching Up A Little

(walks in, with a ferret on her head). …Don't ask questions. Just read the chapter.

**Thanks To Reviewers**

**Scoobycool9: **Perhaps. …Life is full of tragedies, isn't it? Though I'm not exactly sure that's the real reason his father was mad at him, but we'll find out soon enough. …Yes, sort of a bitter-sweet twist to Izzy's life. …Thank you! ^-^

**Starspring: **I'm sure you're not the only one. …No one but Radio may know what Mew's problem is, but we'll figure it out soon enough, all the while see why she's keeping an eye on him. …Quite ironic- math is supposed to make you smart, but makes your brain numb :p

0o0o0o0o0o0

Jimmy couldn't sleep that night, especially after all that had happened in just under 24 hours…

Finding out Rudy had been missing for three years…

Radio becoming betrothed to Danny, and neither of them said anything to object…

Anthony attacking…

Finding Rudy… in a dress…

Danny having to wed Radio in order to break her curse…

Meeting Radio and Izzy's long-lost brothers…

Seeing that Rudy happened to move on…

Knowing that Radio was to be married to Danny…

Who would be able to sleep after a day like that?

_I'm such a dumbass… I should have said something! _he kept scolding himself. He sat up in bed, deciding to take a walk around the castle to clear his mind. He walked by Radio's room, his wolf-ears picking up her conversation with her brother, about- what else?- Rudy. He walked faster, his gut twisting into a knot.

"Hey, Jim, what are you doing up?" Al asked, walking down the hallway. His appearance caught the rebel off-guard, for the street-rat had practically disappeared after their rescue-mission. Seeing that his arms were full of snacks, however, Jimmy guessed he had been raiding the kitchen this whole time.

"Eh, couldn't sleep." Jimmy replied with a shrug, continuing to walk, grabbing an orange out of Al's arms as he did. "Still have a bit of adrenaline left, I guess."

_Show me how to lie, you're getting better all the time_

_And turning all against the one, is an art that's hard to teach_

Al, however, wasn't quite convinced. "Uh huh… It wouldn't be because of some other reason, would it?" he asked.

Jimmy sneered. "You got something to say, Al?" he asked.

"Nothing… Just making sure you're not hiding anything-"

"HEY!" Came a shout, and they looked over, seeing the castle's cook standing there. "Get back here, you little thief!"

_Another clever word, sets off an unsuspecting herd_

_And as you step back into line, a mob jumps right to their feet_

"Talk to you later, Jim!" Al exclaimed, taking off down the hall, jumping onto the stairway railing, and sliding down to the ground floor.

"You won't get away so easy!" The cook shouted, running down the stairs.

Jimmy shook his head, holding back a chuckle. "That kid's gonna end up in Pent Towers someday," he said to himself, continuing his walk…

Which was about the time when he saw something peculiar… for the second time that night.

Someone was in an empty room, dancing, their every movement completely graceful.

_Now dance, fucker, dance, _

_Man, he never had a chance_

What was really peculiar about it was that it was actually Danny.

_And no one even knew, it was really only you_

"Please tell me you're sleep-walking," Jimmy said, catching Danny off-guard and making him slip.

"Jimmy!" Danny gasped, straightening up. "I thought you… I mean, I was only… how long have you been standing there?"

"Just… taking a walk. …What exactly were you doing?"

Danny shrugged. "Eh, Ro'hberta keeps pestering me about having to take dance-lessons. She says it's supposed to help my posture. I keep telling her that I'm fine without them, but she keeps butting into my lessons and saying I need to work harder, which is impossible since she keeps interrupting to 'correct' me."

"She sounds like quite a bitch. Why don't you fire her?"

Danny sighed. "I don't have that authority until I become king, and Elizabeth can't do it because she's more of a 'guardian' and 'monarchial guide'… at least that's Ro'hberta's excuse."

"That's a load of shit. I figured she'd be in control of the kingdom since she's the only other living relative you've got- er, that's capable of controlling a kingdom, at least."

"That's what I said, but she doesn't care about what I have to say,"

Jimmy scoffed. "I'd bet she'd care if you told her to fuck off." he nodded outward toward the hall. "C'mon, how about we grab Rudy and walk around? It may be the only time we'll get a peaceful reunion,"

_And now you steal away_

Danny grinned, giving a nod. "That sounds perfect," he agreed, walking out with Jimmy.

_Take him out today_

"Yeah… and maybe after your walk, you can give him some private dance-lessons!" Jimmy joked.

Danny rolled his eyes. "Good one," he sneered.

_Nice work you did_

_You're gonna go far, kid_

0o0o0o0o0o0

Radio and Bartholomew sat on their bed, chatting for what seemed like hours, the Cat-Furry telling her Raven-Furry brother all about how she met Rudy, Danny, and Jimmy, about her curse, and everything that had happened since then… Although, she left out her crush on Rudy, not knowing how her brother would take it. "Oh, I really envy you!" Bartholomew said, dreamily. "Getting to hang around three hansom boys for so long… meanwhile, I'm stuck with a pair of Gemini jokesters."

"You mean Izzy's brothers? How did you meet them?" Radio asked.

"Oh, it all happened when I was still in my crow-form, and they threw rocks at me, trying to get me to fly. …They then mistook me for a black parrot after I spoke, but once I convinced them I was under a spell, they turned out to be quite friendly."

The prince went on, telling her about how Drake and Derek used to be vampires, then one night they all turned human (partially human, in Mew's case). After fifteen minutes of backstory, Radio then had to ask, "So, give me full detail of how you met Rudolph."

"Oh, it's like I told you- we both had a knack for dancing, and eventually hit it off."

"And when he found out you were part-raven, he didn't freak out?"

"Not at all. From what you've told me about your little adventures, I'm sure he'd seen far worse than me,"

_With a thousand lies and a good disguise_

"And… he still went out with you?" Radio questioned. She found it strange that Rudy- who had been traumatized more times than she would like to know- would go for her brother… who she knew had more to his identity than bird-values.

Bartholomew rolled his eyes. "Of course, sis. He believed beauty to only be skin-deep, and felt no pressure in our relationship."

…_That you care to tell me, _Radio thought, but didn't say. She kept eye-contact with her brother, praying there was at least some truth in his eyes.

_Hit 'em right between the eyes_

She didn't get her hopes up, knowing how fierce he tended to be… especially when he wanted something badly. _Don't jump to conclusions, _she told herself. _Bartholomew might have changed…_

_Hit 'em right between the eyes._

He yawned, stretching. "Well, Naddy, I don't know about you, but I'm beat!" he said, hitting the pillow. "We'll catch up more tomorrow, okay?"

_When you walk away, nothing more to say_

"Okay," Radio sighed, lying down in her own bed, though her cat-eyed night-vision kept an eye on her brother, making sure he didn't try to pull anything.

_See the lightening in your eyes_

She didn't know how much time had passed, she only knew that the day's events were slowly coming down on her, and sleep was so inviting, and eventually drifted into a slumber.

_See 'em running for their lives_

She didn't notice a dark figure slip across the room…

0o0o0o0o0

Rudy waited ten minutes after Bartholomew left, then walked into the bathroom, locking the door as he did. He then turned to the mirror, looking at his reflection- his tin beard, long hair, restless eyes, and dirty face. _Looks like it's time to freshen up… _he thought, opening a cupboard, finding that Danny never left his guests' bathrooms to be empty, and pulled out a can of shaving cream, razor, a spare toothbrush, toothpaste, face wash, and deodorant. He had never shaved before, since his facial hair never grew in so thick, but after three years, he knew it was time to learn.

After some grooming (and sticking pieces of toilet-paper on the small cuts on his cheeks) Rudy then opened a drawer, finding a pair of scissors, a comb, and some hair-things. "Man, Danny has enough equipment for any occasion," he said to himself. Taking out a comb and the scissors, he began to cut away his long hair, until it was short and poofy like before. Afterwards, he walked over to the shower, washing his hair and the grime off the rest of his body.

*Knock knock*

By the time he was finished, someone was at the door. Seeing a spare robe hanging on the bathroom door, he pulled it on, and walked over to the bedroom door, opening it to find Jimmy and Danny standing there. "Oh, hey guys. What are you still doing up?" he asked.

"We couldn't sleep and were just going to take a stroll, and wondered if you'd like to join us," Danny said, taking notice of Rudy's sudden make-over. "But, you know, if you're busy…"

"Busy? Bartholomew's not with him, is he?" Jimmy asked, teasingly. Danny nudged him in the ribs.

"No, that's fine! Just let me get dressed…" Rudy began, but paused, realizing he didn't have any clothes to wear, other than the girly outfit his friends caught him in.

"Then you may want to put these on," Jimmy held up a pair of sneakers, a black T-shirt and a pair of dark-green cargo pants. "I figured you'd want something else to wear, so I stopped by my room and grabbed some spare clothes… unless you want to keep going Scottish and wear a skirt-oof!" Danny had elbowed him in the ribs again.

"Thanks, Jimmy. I owe you," Rudy took the clothes and shut the door, quickly putting them on. Jimmy was more muscular than he was, so he couldn't fit into his clothes so well, being forced to tighten the belt as tight as it could go, the T-shirt loosely fitting him as well, and the shoes feeling two sizes too big… but it was better than dressing in drag.

Walking out with the others, they took a walk along the castle-wall… not knowing they were being watched.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: *hits self with brick* I try SO HARD not to end a chapter with a cliché! SO HARD! …Oh, and the new song is called "You're Gonna Go Far Kid" by The Offspring- and to ease your guessing, YES, it IS the main song of the story. Why? Because I said so.

Please review. No flames, however. Every time you send a flame, a cat robs a child's piggy-bank.


	15. A Day Off At Last

Well, everyone, sorry for the minor delay, but I've been busy as heck- moving into a new house, babysitting, working on a book- all the while the internet connection at my house isn't really the best, which is a hazard to my updates. BUT, with all the free-time I have now, I'm able to give you a new chapter! …So put away the pitch forks and torches and read on!

Also, since there's three different songs in this story, I've given each a different icon so nobody gets the lyrics confused:

_*Just A Dream*_

_{You're Gonna Go Far Kid}_

_~Gay Boyfriend~_

**Reviewer/Angry Mob Thanks**

**Fangface the Second: **Thanks.

**Elizabeth: **Princess Tutu, FTW! ^-^ …You shall despise Rothberta more as the story goes on (of course, who wouldn't?) …Yep, he's a world-class liar, ain't he? …No. …Yes, that question did appear to come up quite a lot XD …I figured you'd like Drake and Derek's appearance ;) …Yes, hopefully someone *cough*DANNY!*cough* will save Rudy. *whistles innocently*

**Scoobycool9: **We shall find out soon… Well, being Jimmy's clothes is better than being in a dress (almost anything would be).

**Starspring: **Don't worry, my ferret is fine. Right, Rodolfo? (the ferret nods) Good. …Glad you like the song! :D …Whoever is following them is keeping quite a low profile. -.- …And we'll find out sooner or later.

0o0o0o0o0

Jimmy, Danny, and Rudy walked along the castle wall, looking out at the town outside the kingdom. It was nearly 4 in the morning, and most of the buildings below were dark, only few having some lights on, the street-lamps being the only luminance for the darkness. The air was slightly cool, the red, orange, and yellow leaves in the trees swiftly falling to the ground, showing that the fall season was approaching its peak and winter was not too far off.

The three friends stopped on the outer wall, looking out at the horizon, trying to catch a glance of their old neighborhood far out in the distance. "Seems like only yesterday I was on the other side, looking in this direction, dreaming about a different life," Rudy said, breaking the silence. "Feels weird, now that it's happened."

"You're telling me," Jimmy agreed, looking off to the east, where- if his memory were correct- his old ghetto neighborhood was located. "It's like yesterday I had to mug someone to get by."

"I feel like I took a step back seven years," Danny added, looking out at the town. "I used to come up here all the time- a guard was always with me- and watch all the other kids hang out and have fun, wishing I could be one of them."

"Considering you have to deal with Rot, I bet you wish you were like any other guy- working at a job, living in your own place, doing whatever you wanted… let alone choosing who to date…"

"What do you mean, Jimmy?" Rudy asked.

Jimmy looked at Rudy. "Oh, shit, we didn't tell you, did we? Radio is betrothed to Danny!"

Danny gave the rebel a hard glance. "Way to keep it smooth, Jim." he sneered.

They spent the next fifteen minutes explaining about the legend Rothberta found, how it matched Radio's story of being cursed, and how- in order for her to be human- she had to marry Danny. Rudy only listened, nodding occasionally. Once they finished, he finally spoke. "That's quite a shock," he said, calmly. "I always believed you and Radio would marry, Jimmy. Didn't you object?"

Jimmy shrugged. "Radio and I have grown apart the last three years, so I didn't have much of a reason to cut in," he replied, hiding the fact that he despised himself for keeping quiet at the time.

"I don't think it would have mattered, anyway." Danny sighed, shaking his head. "Ro'hberta is really strict with rules, and wouldn't give a damn if a princess I was betrothed to was in love with someone else. The tradition says that in order for me to rightfully be king, I must have a queen- and I've already turned down several in the past week."

"Can't you object, then?" Rudy asked, arching an eyebrow. "I mean, if you've turned down a few princesses before, why not just say you don't want to marry Radio?"

"Rot-breath would probably nag him into an early grave if he did," Jimmy scoffed.

"It's true. When a prince and princess are betrothed by their families, they have no say in the matter," Danny said, clenching his fists. "When I'm king, that will be another rule I'll rip out of the book."

Rudy rubbed his chin. "So… you and Radio don't have a say…" he began, a smirk appearing on his face. "But what about your OTHER family members?"

"I think you're on to something, Rude-Boy," Jimmy said, grinning. "What if we got Red Rose to object, or even his aunt Snow White?"

Danny considered this, asking why he hadn't thought of it before. "You're right… The betrothment can be called off by a guardian!" he agreed, but then scratched his head. "But… in order for it to be renounced, someone from Radio's family would have to object as well, in order for it to be contractible."

Rudy grinned wider. "I don't think that'll be a problem. Bartholomew is Radio's older brother, remember?" he pointed out. "I could fill him in on the plan, have him object to his sister being married- which, being her brother, he'd do in a heartbeat- and the curse would become null and void!"

"You may want to think about that…" came a voice.

"Because if you know Mew as well as we do…" came another voice.

"There's a chance that he'd object to objecting," Drake and Derek finished together.

The three friends jumped, turning around and facing the two brothers. "Guys! How long have you been out here?" Rudy asked, arching an eyebrow.

"We came out here for a walk, and saw you guys," Drake replied first.

"Just thought we'd meet up with you and catch up," Derek added, looking at Jimmy and Danny. "Izzy told us a lot about you both. You sound like some really fun guys to hang out with,"

"Thanks… what did you mean by 'Mew' objecting to object?" Danny asked, curiously.

"Mew told us about the curse, and says it's more of a gift for him," Drake responded, continuing to walk with the friends. "He said having Furry strength, instincts, and an ability to fly was like a dream come true."

"If the curse was broken and he became human, he'd hate it." Derek added, looking up at the stars. "He said it's bad enough that he has to age again like everyone else. To be mortal completely would drive him insane,"

"Well, Radio doesn't enjoy being a Furry," Jimmy said, sternly. "The only thing she likes about being part-cat is being able to see in the dark and have strong prowess. She hates not being to kiss someone without changing into a cat, unable to show excitement without her cat-ears or tail popping out… When she thought she had become completely human, she was happy beyond description! …Plus, she's the one who needs to marry to break the curse, not her brother, and if he loves her enough, he'd do what makes her happy and suck it up!"

The others just stared at Jimmy. They hadn't seen him so defensive before!

Rudy cleared his throat. "I'll try talking to Bartholomew later." he said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.

"And I'll talk to Aunt Elizabeth," Danny added, then looked at his watch. "Right now, however, we'd better get some rest."

They headed back inside the castle, seeing Al on the way in, sneaking through the halls. "Cook still on your trail?" Jimmy asked him, smirking.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Al replied, walking with Jimmy, his magic carpet following. "Took me a while to lose him,"

"You'd better watch yourself at breakfast tomorrow, then." Danny said, chuckling. "Samuel tends to hold quite a grudge,"

"So I've noticed… Anyone feel like tasting my food for poison tomorrow?"

They all laughed, then went into their rooms.

Rudy climbed into his bed, sighing with relief from the feel of a soft mattress and warm blankets, a nice fluffy pillow under his head, snuggling up in the sheets as an arm wrapped softly around his waist… "What the…?" he gasped, looking over, seeing a face that caused him to jump out of his skin.

"Hello, darling," Bartholomew said, smirking as he pulled closer to Rudy.

"B-Bartholomew! I thought you were sharing a room with Radio!"

"Radio? …Oh, yes, my little sister. She told me about that witty nickname you gave to her. Ha ha! Oh, how clever… because she looked like she was radioactive with that paint on her, right? Quite humorous."

"What are you doing in my room?"

Bartholomew wrapped his arm around Rudy. "I couldn't handle being apart from you for a single night, love. My heart ached for your company…" he began using his finger to trace circles in Rudy's arm. "Especially since we were never able to be close in that cat-creature's prison…"

Rudy cringed. "Y-Yeah… but don't you want to be with your sister? I mean, she'd be really hurt to know that her long-lost brother just ditched her,"

"She'd understand once I told her that I had to see the love of my life, to make sure no one tried to snatch him from me," Bartholomew hugged him tight, resting his head on top of Rudy's hair. "To lose you would be murder to my soul, Rudy… and I want to make sure that Anthony never hurts you again." he stroked his hair, speaking softly. "You don't know how much it hurt to see you in pain…"

_I'm sure. _Rudy thought, recalling how Bartholomew had just smacked him a couple hours ago. "I'm fine now, Bartholomew. There's no need for you to worry," he whispered, hugging him back, snuggling against this chest. "It's more important for you to be with Radio now… she missed you so much, and I don't think she'd want to wake up and believe that your reunion was just a dream,"

Bartholomew sighed, cupping Rudy's face in his hand. "If you insist… But, remember, I'll always be keeping an eye on you, no matter if you're just across the hall, or across the world. I'll always be around, Rudy. Never forget that." With a small kiss to his forehead, he left.

Rudy sighed, slumping back into his bed. _Finally! I thought he'd never leave… _he thought, and finally fell asleep.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Anthony used his tail to pick the locks of his shackles, then bent the bars of his cell-window and ran out, sneaking past the guards, heading toward the tower wall. Remembering the directions given to him, he stopped by the garden, walking over to an old rose-trellis.

Pulling it open, he snuck out through the secret passage and into the night. _Now to find my accomplice, _he told himself, taking out a pair of amulets- one red, one green. _This oughtta get them to follow orders well._

On that note, he ran into the forest_._

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Everyone sat down for breakfast the next morning… Al decided to skip as a precaution, saying he'd explore the town on his carpet. "So, what are the plans for today?" Silver asked, grabbing a couple strips of bacon.

"We were planning on going on a walk around the town," Radio said, looking at her brother. "Bartholomew and I want to go shopping together,"

"That sounds great," Danny agreed, smiling. "I could show you guys around, and-"

"You will do no such thing!" Rothberta snapped. "Guests or not, you still have to-"

"Oh, can it, Ro'h!" Red Rose snapped. "Let Danny have a weekend off for once! His friends have just arrived, and they deserve some time with each other. He can't stay cooped up in a castle all day!"

"Yeah, let him hang out with us and have a little fun," Izzy added, leaning back in her chair and drinking her orange juice.

Rothberta sneered. "Fine." she huffed. "But once he's king, 'fun' will have to wait in order for him to-"

"Hey, look at the time!" Jimmy interrupted, looking at an invisible watch. "We'd better get going before the weekend flies by!"

Finishing their breakfast, the friends left the castle, Red Rose and Silver staying behind. "Care for a tour of the castle?" she asked him.

Silver shrugged. "Sure, why not? Been a while since I've been in one," he replied.

"Ah, yes. Danny mentioned you were once a prince yourself."

"Eh, it's a long story…"

They walked side-by-side, Rothberta watching them pass by, her lips forming a scowl. "Walking around with a man like that… Why am I not surprised?" the chamber pot- er, I mean chamber_maid_ muttered to herself.

0o0o0o0o0o0

It wasn't long before everyone split up to explore the town. Izzy took off with Danny and Jimmy to find Al, Drake and Derek dragged Bartholomew into a joke-store with them, and Radio decided to go clothes-shopping with Rudy. "Isn't this great?" Radio asked as they browsed around. "It feels just like the first time we went to the mall!"

"Yeah. Talk about déjà vu!" Rudy exclaimed, finding a pair of jeans. "C'mon, lets go try these on."

_~It'll be a great romance~_

_~We'll go shopping and buy tight pants~_

They stepped out to look at their outfits. Radio was wearing a knee-long gray plaid skirt with a black top, while Rudy wore a pair of jeans with a tye-dye shirt. The cat-girl giggled. "What? I like the 60's style!" Rudy protested, chuckling.

"How do I look?" Radio asked once she finished giggling.

"Like you stepped out of an anime. You look adorable!"

Radio giggled again, this time blushing. "Thank you."

_~You don't care how big my ass is~_

_~Just how fabulous my dress is~_

They walked out of the store, carrying shopping bags of new clothes, walking down the street toward another shop. "By the way, I noticed you've cut your hair," Radio said to him. "It looks nice."

"Thanks," Rudy said, brushing his bangs with his hand. "Chrys took a cosmetology class after she graduated, and gave me a few tips. She said that if I practiced enough, I ought to be a hairstylist."

"I'm surprised you're not working in a beauty shop now. It looks professional!"

Rudy blushed. "Nah. I plan on being a book-writer… maybe write about our adventures,"

Radio nodded. "Sounds great. Send me a copy once you publish your first book- autographed and all!"

He chuckled. "Will do."

_~Gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend~_

_~I don't really care that you are queer~_

"Rudy! Sissy! There you are!" Bartholomew exclaimed, catching up with them. "Ooh, I see you've started shopping already without me,"

"We just grabbed a couple things," Radio replied. "We were waiting for you to catch up."

"Well, wait no longer! C'mon, lets go to a salon and get our hair done!" he looked at Rudy, tussling his hair. "Especially you, Rudy. I don't know what you did with your hair, but it looks like a hack-job! …No offense."

"None taken…" Rudy lied. "You both go ahead. I promised Danny and Jimmy I'd meet up with them," He took off before either could reply.

Radio watched him go, then gave her brother a hard glance. "C'mon, Naddy!" Bartholomew said, not noticing her glare. "The shop won't stay open all day!"

"Right. Lets go." Radio muttered, following her brother, giving one more glance back at Rudy.

_~I never feel lonely when you are near~_

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: What is Anthony up to? Will Rudy, Danny, and Jimmy ever be able to get some objections to call off the forced matrimony? What are Red Rose and Silver doing while the others are away? Do we even want to know? Why is Bartholomew being so pushy? Will Rothberta ever stop being so snooty? If chickens have wings, why can't they fly? And will I ever stop leaving you guys with so many questions?

Please review. No flames or you'll be grazed by a meatloaf.


	16. Warning! Drama Increase!

(A bunch of people are gathered at a cemetery)

Preacher: We're here today to give our respects to the late-Wherever Girl: authoress, dreamer, and semi-normal crazy person. We all find it hard to see that she had to leave us so soon, hardly even halfway finished with her writing of fics. It is with a heavy heart we say goodbye, and realize that this story may never-

Me: (pops out of grave) I'M NOT DEAD, YOU IDIOTS!

Crowd: ZOMBIE! D8 (flee)

Me: (brushes dirt off self) Sha-yeesh! You don't update for a few days, and everyone figures the worst! Man alive!

Preacher: You mean, "Author alive", ha ha ha.

Me: Oh, hush, and lets get on with the chapter, before someone throws me in another hole- WAUGH! (falls in hole)

**Reviewer I'd Be More Thankful If Someone Helped Me Out of This Hole**

**Scoobycool9: **Yes… the Cheshire cat, and maybe someone else ;) …If the warden catches him, hopefully. …Hard to say much about Mew, but I believe you're on to something.

**Starspring: **Got that right. …Keep your hopes up. …No one knows what Mew's deal is. …Yes, after living with Chris and Chrys, I believe Rudy knows, but- like in the past- is too scared to do anything in case of death. I wouldn't trust Mew either. …Answers that will come later :D …And my home is nice, thank you ^-^

0o0o0o0o0

Silver never hung out with many women in the past. Oh, sure, he had visited Mrs. Homes once in a while, namely seeing her at parent-teacher conferences, and tried his luck at dating once again. He was hansom enough for a man his age, slightly charming, and even figured Jimmy would need a mother-figure too (though, now that the boy was grown, that thought faded). On his walks through town, he'd look at every woman who would look his way, figuring who he could get along with, if she'd like him, and figuring how long their relationship would last, pondering about marriage even. However, one thought always came to mind, which always caused him to banish the idea of seeing another woman.

Ashley Krook.

He never forgot her, and being with Jimmy even sharpened his memory, from the large resemblance the young man had to his mother. He had promised- back when he was a werewolf and Ashley was pregnant- that he'd provide for her, and even take care of Jimmy (that promise he kept), for he cared about her enough to make sure she never had to worry about anything, had nothing to fear, and would never feel alone… like he once had before she came into his life. When they were separated from that mob, and he had learned (from scrapping newspapers, thanks to Lilly and her ability to exit the prison easily) that she had died from an internal illness, he felt as if his world had finally crumbled, and there was nothing for him to live for…

Until Jimmy came along, and Silver knew that he could still help Ashley, even though she was gone. As he took Jimmy under his wing, he kept thinking about her… her smile, her laugh, her eyes, her long brown hair, her soft touch… He never believed he'd meet a woman quite like her.

Though, he felt he had, long ago, back in Fairytale Land after Anchantor cursed him a second time… but his memory of being a beast had faded with the curse, and he couldn't recall her name, face, or even the sound of her voice. The only thing he could recall was that she, a woman he didn't remember, had shown kindness only Ashley had shown to him, seeing past his monstrous appearance and looking into his heart, like she had once had.

It was a cruel irony to see that he didn't realize that same woman was walking beside him now, and didn't even recall him as well. "…And that's when we decided to put in a weight room," Elizabeth was telling him as they walked. "After all, I figured Danny ought to keep up his strength- and I wanted to keep in shape, too."

"Good choice," Silver responded, looking into the weight-room, then continued walking with her. "Back at my old castle- before it was burned down- the only way I was able to exercise was lurking, hunting, running, or doing push-ups. …Wasn't quite easy to do after I was sent to Pent Towers,"

"What was it like, being in prison, if you don't mind my asking?"

Silver shrugged. "Not exactly a stay at the Holiday Inn- 'til you got to the bathrooms, at least. I caused a lot of trouble after my first month there, after the other monsters thought I was a push-over. 'Proved 'em wrong by throwing a gargoyle through the wall, caused a riot, broke the warden's window with a harpy, and set fire to a warlock's cape- all in a four-hour period, too."

Elizabeth let out a descending whistle. "Developed quite a reputation, huh?"

He chuckled. "Well… I made 'em believe werewolves were a lot more tougher than most people thought. Some of them hardly lasted a day sharing a cell with me- either from losing a fight, or unable to handle their fear. Once I showed the darkest part of myself, everyone thought twice before messing with me- the smart ones, at least."

"I see… And this 'darkness' left you after you met Jimmy, correct?"

Silver sighed, looking out a window. "Aye. He and I didn't get along right away, though- he acted like a little smart-ass, kept getting into trouble, and I had to knock some sense into him and save his skin more than once… But after a while, we started to grow a bond. 'Didn't think the kid would grow on me so much, or that he'd develop a fondness toward me either, but next thing I know we're risking our necks for each other, and before I know it he's breaking the curse I was under."

Elizabeth nodded. "You said you took care of him because of a promise you made to his mother. Did you know her, before?"

He looked down, solemnly. "Yes… 'met her when she was a month pregnant with him. Almost found love with her, until some dumbass stalker brought a mob to my castle and separated us. Next thing I knew, she's dead…" he looked up at the sky. "Though, it never feels as if she's really gone, as if she's watching out for me, as if paying me back for taking care of Jimbo. (sigh) Sometimes I wish I could see her one last time…" He cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. "Pardon if that last part came out rather sappy."

"I thought it was beautiful," Elizabeth put a hand on his arm, smiling up at him. "I don't blame you for missing her… I often miss my late-sister, only remembering what she was like whenever I watch Danny."

Silver gave a soft laugh. "I guess that's one thing we have in common: we miss people we cared about, and are taking care of their kids!"

Elizabeth laughed, and the tone made Silver's heart leap, it was so beautiful. "It's a small world after all,"

Rothberta then arrived. "Madame, lunch is served," she said, giving Silver a look of distaste before walking off.

Elizabeth held up her arm. "Shall we?"

Silver linked his arm with hers. "Lets drive that hag's blood-pressure up," he said, smirking.

Together, they walked to the dining room… until a guard rushed up to them, out of breath. "Madame, you must come quick!" he wheezed, leading them to the dungeon.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Rudy looked down at the ground, walking in front of a café and sitting down at a table out front, resting his face in his hands. "Let me guess…" a voice began.

"You let him do it again, didn't you?" came another.

Rudy looked at Drake and Derek. "Is it that obvious?" he asked, quietly.

The twins rolled their eyes and sat down across from him. "Rudy, you've GOT to cut this crap," Derek sneered. "If you don't tell off Mew, he'll just keep controlling you,"

"Yeah, show some back-bone," Drake added.

"How?" Rudy demanded, sneering. "You've seen what he's like when he doesn't get his way!"

"He's just a spoiled brat," They said in unison. "Once you lay down the law-"

"And get my face ripped off by his talons? Right. I'll put it on my list of death-wishes,"

"Not if you get Radio to break the curse," Drake pointed out. "Then he can't do anything to you, and you can tell him to get some help,"

"I think you should tell him now," Derek added, arms-crossed. "Tell him that if he really loves you, he'll get some psychological help and anger-management, rather than pushing you around and hurting you every time you don't obey his every command."

"Yeah, no wonder Radio was chosen to be married and become queen. Mew would be the next Hitler!"

Rudy shook his head. "I've been in a situation like this before, guys. It's not easy to just walk up to someone and say, 'I'm sick of your shit, knock it off', without getting your ass kicked harder." he muttered.

"Then get back-up," The twins suggested.

"I'd bet Jimmy would be useful," Derek pointed out. "Izzy told us he's half-werewolf, so he could make Mew's feathers fly if he tried anything."

"I'd put my money on Danny," Drake said, shrugging. "He's gonna be king, right? He has more authority over Mew, if not equal, so he could sentence him into exile or send him to prison, or give the command to chop his head off, if feather-brains hurts you."

"Or even have Izzy do something! She works with Pent Towers, so she probably has some ways on handling Mew for you,"

"And of course Radio. She knows what he's like better than we do, so she may know how to handle him."

"And then there's Silver-"

"I don't want them involved!" Rudy snapped, startling the twins. He clenched his fists, feeling his face heat up. "I've told you before, I'm sick of people always having to stand up for me! If I'm going to handle Bartholomew, I'll handle him myself!" he then stormed off, leaving the twins to just stare.

Drake looked at Derek, giving a critical look. "Twenty dollars says he wimps out," he said, blandly.

"Make it fifty," his brother replied with a scoff.

They walked on, not knowing their conversation had been overheard.

0o0o0o0o0o0

By late-afternoon, everyone went back to the castle, seeing Elizabeth, Silver, and a few dozen guards standing in the hallway. "Check every corner, search all the passages, keep an eye out for any detail out of place!" Elizabeth ordered, giving the command for the guards to head out.

"What's going on?" Danny asked, concerned.

"Apparently, Anthony made a quick get-away," Silver sneered. "Cowardly cat couldn't handle facing a wrath or two,"

"That psycho-cat is loose?" The twins gasped.

"I have all my guards patrolling," Elizabeth assured. "We'd better assist in the search first, though, since you all know the were-cat better than anyone else,"

"Too right," Jimmy said, turning to the others. "C'mon, we'll split up. Izzy, you and your brothers search the palace walls; Danny, you and Rudy search the halls; Al, you get on your carpet and scout the area; Silver and I will search the dungeons,"

"What about me?" Bartholomew asked, giving a pouting look.

"You can scout with me," Al advised. "Your eyes are probably sharper than mine,"

Bartholomew blushed, smiling vainly. "Well, I do have keen eyes…"

"What should I do?" Radio asked Jimmy.

Jimmy paused, biting his lower lip. "You… go with Red Rose, make sure Rot doesn't interfere," he replied, then hurried off, Silver following.

Radio sighed. "Right…" She then split up, along with the others.

0o0o0o0o0o0

It was awkward, Danny and Rudy walking alone in a hall together. They were hardly able to have a word with each other since their reunion, and now that it was just them, they couldn't think of much to say… though with Anthony on the loose again, starting a conversation was the least of their problems.

As they walked, the prince couldn't help but look at his friend, noticing the bruises on his skin. _Whatever Anthony did to him, he shall suffer a thousand-times worse, _he thought darkly. "Where do you suppose he ran off to?" Danny asked, looking around.

"Probably anywhere…" Rudy replied, looking behind a vase. "Question is, how could he have gotten out without being caught? I mean, not many people would go about their business after seeing a cat-creature running loose."

"He might have an accomplice. Perhaps one of his comrades followed us…"

"Maybe."

They continued to search in silence. Danny looked at him once more, getting a good view of his face… seeing he looked sickly, though he didn't seem like it this morning. "Rudy… what all did Anthony do to you?" It was a bad way to start, and he didn't want to know… but he had to. If something was wrong with his friend.

Rudy shrugged. "He just punched me in the gut a few times, cut my arms and legs, slapped me, and carved his initials into my stomach… namely when Bartholomew mouthed off to him."

Danny's eyes widened. "Why didn't he harm Bartholomew instead?"

"He was immune to pain, so it seemed. Anthony went as far as cutting his face, but he showed no signs of agony… but when Anthony hurt me, it hurt him, so the cat-creature used that as his punishment- making him watch me suffer." Danny saw him clench his fists. "No matter how bad I was hurt, or how much I told him to keep quiet, Bartholomew still snapped at him. The only time Anthony DIDN'T threaten either of us was when he was handling Drake and Derek- I think they gave him a rough time with their escape-plots, because he hardly came by us most of the time. Once he restrained the twins well, however, he went back to torturing Bartholomew… torturing me."

Danny couldn't believe it. If he were in Bartholomew's shoes, he would have remained silent, would have taken all of Anthony's blows to keep his friend from harm- let alone figure out an escape-plan… and began to wonder why Bartholomew hadn't made any attempts, relying on the twins' efforts instead. He saw Rudy wince, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Rudy… do you love him?"

He didn't know why he asked it, and felt stupid for even uttering a word… but once again he had to know. He just HAD to.

Rudy gave him a look. "Why… do you ask?" he questioned.

Danny sighed. "I-I shouldn't have asked, but…" he began, looking away, out the window at his reflection in the glass, Rudy's right next to his.

_*When I be riding, man I see her face at every turn*_

"But… what?" Rudy asked. Danny tried to answer, but the words seemed to catch in his throat.

_*Tried to get my Usher on, but I can't let it burn*_

"Rudy…" he finally said, unleashing a heavy sigh. "Ever since I left… all I thought about was you, about the last time we were together. I thought about… about how careless I was of our friendship, and how… how I wished I didn't mess it up… and allowed it to blossom into something… more." He looked at him, straight in the eye.

_*And I just hope she knows she's the only one I yearn*_

_*For, moreover, I miss her, when will I learn?*_

"I wasn't sure about my feelings back then… but after the past three years, I believe they're starting to become clear." he continued, his eyes shimmering. "Rudy… I love you,"

He expected him to smile, to hug him, to confess his love back, like before… but instead Rudy just backed away, a look of shock on his face. "You're kidding," he gasped, shaking his head. "Please tell me you're kidding… After all you put me through? Getting my hopes high, then shattering them, and now… now that I've found someone else, you suddenly want me?"

_*Didn't give her all my love, guess now I got my payback*_

"Rudy-" Danny tried to say, but Rudy was already walking off. He went after him. "Please, wait!"

_*Now I'm in the club, thinking all about my baby*_

"Rudy, listen, I know I was unsure before, but-"

"But back then I was still in love with you," Rudy snapped, glowering at him. "Yet, you didn't share equal feelings… and I doubt you do now."

_*Hey, she was so easy to love*_

_*But wait, I guess that love wasn't enough*_

"But I do, now!" Danny replied, trying to reach out for his friend, but he jerked back. The action was like a needle to his heart.

"I'm sorry, Danny, but you've already broken my heart once," Rudy said, coldly. "And I don't want to go through it again. I've moved on… I think it's time you did the same," he then continued down the hall. "Lets… just get back to searching."

Danny stood there, stunned, slowly following, feeling as if his life had been cut short, and Heaven had closed its gates on him.

0o0o0o0o0o0

_*I'm going through it every time that I'm alone*_

Radio was lost in thought, looking through the gardens with Elizabeth… finding a set of footprints near the roses, that led to the wall. "Over here!" she called, motioning her over.

"It appears Anthony discovered one of our secret passages," Elizabeth sneered. "Better call the others."

_*Now I'm missing her and wished she'd pick up her phone*_

Radio took out her cell-phone… seeing a picture of her and Jimmy, arms around each other, smiling. She bit her bottom lip, then quickly pulled up the speed-dial page, just to block the image, and called Rudy. "Talk to me," came Izzy's voice. (She forgot she had Rudy's phone!)

"Izzy, find the others. We just discovered a clue," Radio replied. "Oh, and be sure to return Rudolph's phone, would you?"

"Sure thing," She hung up.

Mentioning Rudy made the Cat-Furry plunge back into her thoughts, remembering the conversation Drake and Derek had with her friend, about how much her brother was hurting him… and that there was one thing she had to do to make it end.

_*But she made the decision that she wanted to move on*_

_*'Cause I was wrong*_

"Elizabeth… how soon might Daniel and I be wed?" she asked.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Oooooooh, drama! …Clearly, I'm running out of ideas :P

Please review, don't flame… ah, you know the drill.


	17. Anthony's Accomplice

Now for a new chapter.

**Reviewer Thank Yous and Such**

**Starspring: **You know me well. …I shall introduce his accomplice, soon. …Yeah, we DO need some more action, don't we? …Yes. Always avoid holes.

**Scoobycool9: **Tell me about it. …Yeah, Radio will regret the decision, but she cares more about Rudy's predicament than her own. …I may fix things between Danny and Rudy, but I have another option in mind at the moment that I'd like to try.

0o0o0o0o0

Anthony stood at the cave entrance, while two other were-cats stood on either side of him, both Siamese-like. Another stood in front of him, with black fur and white paws, looking like a large tabby-cat… and looking nervous as well. "You… wanted to see me, Anthony?" she asked, her voice sounding British, and quaky.

"Yes… I noticed that you failed to dispose of one of my enemies, even though I told you to keep an eye out and shoot down anyone associated with those boys," Anthony replied coldly.

"I-I didn't know…"

"Didn't know? So I suppose you just shoot anyone flying on a carpet, is that it?"

"No! I mean, I didn't know they survived! I figured that fall would have caused them to at least break their necks- agh!"

Anthony had stuck his sword toward her throat. "Now, listen to me, Tabitha, and listen good. When you have an order to get something done, you don't just 'figure' things, you _figure them out. _That means, if you shoot someone down, you make sure they STAY down."

She gulped. "Y-Yes, Anthony, I understand, but… I couldn't. A woman came out of her house and invited them in! I tried waiting for them, but…"

"But… what?"

Tabitha gulped. She had fled the scene, feeling an ominous chill in the air, and heard an inhuman whisper right next to her ear. She didn't hear what it said- because she had took off running. She couldn't stand hanging around such a horrible thing! …But she couldn't tell Anthony that, without being labeled as a 'fraidy cat' in front of their peers, kicked off his force… and executed, just like her brother, Ash, who lost his head during a scout-mission through an eerie swamp… and literately lost his head when Anthony decided he wasn't cut out in being a monster-hunter.

"But… I knew that would intervene in your plans!" She said instead, quickly. "I mean, you said the plan involved getting into the castle, and being taken to the dungeons, correct?"

Anthony arched a wary eyebrow. "Yes…" he replied, eyeing her.

"Well, I knew that- as skilled as you are- taking down those other two boys, that rotten detective, and some cat would be no problem, and they'd become suspicious if you were taken out so easily. So I figured I'd let Silver live, make things sound more logical, make the number five-to-one, if you count the Arabian kid… and I know how much you want to see Silver dead, so I decided to let you enjoy that part of your revenge yourself, rather than having a lacky like ME do it for you…" she gulped, seeing his gaze harden.

Anthony smiled. "True… Nice to see that you pay attention to my motives well, Tabitha,"

She sighed with relief. Perhaps she wasn't going to end up like her brother after all.

He crossed to the front of the cave. "However… I still must set an example, just so no one ELSE gets the thought that smooth-talk will let them get away with their flukes," He held up a rock.

Tabitha gasped, turning to run, but the two Siamese were-cats stood in front of her, scowling. She wasn't allowed to run.

Anthony threw the rock in the cave, and stepped to the side.

The Siamese stepped back, their swords pointed at Tabitha, threatening to take her life if she dared move.

Silence.

Tabitha breathed slowly. Perhaps the cave was empty. Perhaps she was going to live.

She howled in pain as flames burst out of the cave, burning her fur, then her skin, blackening her bones and scorching her entire body. The Siamese had leaped into some bushes, while Anthony climbed on top of the cave.

The dragon roared, sticking its head out. It had emerald-green scales, ruby-red spikes, its fangs pearly-white, its eyes golden-yellow, its underbelly a crystal-lime, and its claws black as coal. It snarled at the Siamese were-cats, who held out their swords… unaware that Anthony was right behind it.

Chancing it, Anthony leaped onto the dragon's back and tied the blue medallion around its neck. The massive reptile swung its head around, preparing to scorch him as it had done Tabitha… until Anthony held up the red medallion. A blue vapor slithered out of the dragon's medallion while a red one slid out of his, both merging and becoming one purple tendril, which split in two and slipped back into both medallions. The dragon's eyes calmed, and it ceased its growling, remaining still as Anthony slid down its back.

The Siamese were-cats stepped forth, showing no regard to the burned remains of Tabitha, and watched as Anthony stepped in front of the dragon, smirking.

"From now on," Anthony said to the dragon, with triumph in his voice. "I am your master, and you are my accomplice."

0o0o0o0o0o0

"So, the over-grown pussy made a getaway through a secret passage?" Derek asked as he and Drake studied the rose-trellis.

"Cool. It's almost like a James Bond movie," Drake commented.

"It's not cool if we all end up killed," Rudy sneered, then turned to Red Rose. "How many secret passages does this castle have?"

"Many, all of which lead to the outside," Rose Red replied. "Some often take detours into different parts of the castle… one, due to some humorous circumstances, leads through a toilet on the third floor… But they're mostly for dangerous times, like warfare or a castle siege."

"Or cutting lessons without Ro'hberta seeing you," Danny added, getting a couple laughs out of his friends.

"It looks like Anthony used this one as an escape-route," Silver commented, rubbing his chin. "Question is, how did he find out about it?"

"Maybe he found some blue-prints of the castle," Izzy suggested.

"Not exactly," Danny replied. "We rebuilt the castle to match its previous design- except we added a game-room and a bigger swimming pool. We used the old blue-prints, but burned them shortly afterwards, just in case they fell into the wrong hands."

"Someone is real tight on security," Jimmy scoffed.

Danny sneered. "You'd be too if your parents were murdered by a madman-"

"Alright, so we don't know how he knows about the passages," Radio spoke up, stepping between Danny and Jimmy before they got into (yet another) heated argument. "What we DO know is that he knows his way in and out of the kingdom, so wherever he went, he's sure to come back."

"We'll have to keep our guards up, then." Al added. "We should patrol all the passages, in case he tries to sneak back in."

"Yes… but just to make sure no one else is harmed, I suggest we evacuate," Bartholomew suggested.

"What?" Jimmy sneered.

"But we just got here!" Drake and Derek complained.

"How would that help?" Silver questioned.

"Well, that brutish feline will be expecting us to stay in the castle, won't he?" Bartholomew pointed out. "Suppose he leads the rest of his gang of alley-cats in, take out some guards, and use the passages to ambush us- we wouldn't stand a chance! But, if we went somewhere remote, he'd be trying to track us down. We could lead him away from the castle-"

"And to Pent Towers!" Izzy exclaimed, snapping her fingers. "That's it! We can lead him into a trap! Brilliant thinking, Baklava!"

"It's… 'Bartholomew'."

"I'd hate to admit it, but that actually DOES sound like a good idea," Jimmy said, thinking about it. "We could go on a cross-country trip, making Anthony think we're on the run…"

"When really, he's just running into the Warden's clutches," Rudy added, smirking. "I like it."

"Okay… but where would we go, exactly?" Radio asked. "I mean, Anthony probably knows the area well, and would suspect where we're leading him… Or would try to kill us on the way there!"

"Not exactly, Rad," Silver said, rubbing his chin. "I have a pretty good idea where we can go, that would take Anthony a while to pin-point our location…" he turned to Red Rose. "Got a map to Lobonia?"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

By that afternoon, everyone had their bags packed, and were hiding in the back of a delivery truck. "Are you sure you want to go?" Danny asked his aunt. "Our trips tend to get dangerous-"

"Let alone include a few deaths along the way," Rudy added, quivering.

"Hey, I told myself I'd take care of my sister's son, and I'm not going to take back my word," Red Rose scoffed, easing back. "Besides, I'd rather face peril than be stuck with Ro'h for a while."

"Alright, so we'll leave the kingdom before sundown," Jimmy told everyone once he loaded the last of the baggage. "When we get at least two-hundred miles down the interstate, we'll stop at a hotel, then find a car-rental place and swap vehicles. We'll have to use random aliases- Al is an expert at forging fake ID's so we'll be fine if the cops find us. Once we're at our location, we lay low for a couple days, then lead the trail to Pent Towers. Izzy informed the Warden of the plan…"

"She's got officers standing by at all our routes," Izzy added.

"But what's with all the swapping identities and car-switching?" Drake asked.

"Yeah, I thought we wanted Anthony to follow us!" Derek sneered.

"We do. This is just to baffle him, so he pays more attention to who he's looking for than where the trail is leading. By the time he finds out he's been led into a trap, he'll already be behind bars," Jimmy replied. "To catch a criminal, you need to think like one. …And I happen to be an expert,"

"A-hem," Al sneered.

Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Alright, _we _happen to be experts."

They climbed into the vehicle. Al was the first to drive, with Radio (as a cat) with him to help him with the directions, while the others sat in the back. They drove out through the castle gate, through the small town, then onto the highway, heading to their getaway.

"So, how did Rot-breath react when you told her you were leaving?" Jimmy asked Danny.

"Lets just say, if Anthony plans on invading my castle, he'll be deaf before he gets within 100 feet of the wall," Danny replied.

"I almost feel sorry for him," Izzy scoffed.

0o0o0o0o0o0

No one realized there were a couple fiends watching the group leave. _"It appears zat little brat iz trying to make a getaway-ah," _One of them sneered. _"Should we inform ze cat-man?"_

"_Not just yet," _The other replied, sounding younger than the first. _"Lets cause a little havoc for those sons of bitches first, THEN have our pawn participate in their little game of… cat and mouse."_

The first fiend sneered. _"'Cat und mouse'? Honestly? You are using a pun?"_

"_What? I thought it was catchy!"_

"_It was lame! Zat saying is older than either of us!"_

"_It was funny, and you know it!"_

"_Oh, shut up, and get back to the job!"_

"_Don't tell ME to shut up, or I'll make you wish you moved on!"_

"_Ooh, what are you going to do? Pun me to death?"_

"_Ah, shut it! Lets just get to avenging our own deaths, alright?"_

"_Fine. …Juvenile witch-boy,"_

"_Humorless French-fry!"_

With those two insults, the two spooks disappeared.

0o0o0o0o0

A/N: (sarcastically) Hmm, now who could those two ghosts be? We may neeeeeeevvver know! XD

Please review. No flames or I'll release my pet piranhas into your bed… er, once I teach them to breathe air… (so far, no success)


	18. There's Something About Izzy

Who wants a new chapter?

Readers: YAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

…Okay, then.

**Beagle Snorkel Cupcake Ponies (random-ese for "Reviewer Thanks")**

**Elizabeth: **Ah, procrastination does a number on all of us, no harm done (I did miss your reviews, tho). …Yep, gotta love it when a pair of twins pop up randomly XD …Hmm, looks like Rothberta and Bartholomew have something in common- crap, that's a bad sign! …Yeah, sometimes I give away too much, especially when it comes to Rudy :P, and don't worry about his relationship with Danny JUST yet ;) …Hey, I HAD to throw in a dragon, alright? Lol …Yeah, it was the only plan I- I mean Jimmy!- could come up with *ahem* …Lol, good one.

**Scoobycool9: **Yep, all the villains are teaming up o.o …The other cats are just henchmen of Anthony's. …And Steve is still alive, just in prison.

**Starspring: **A lot of villains are cruel- life lesson number uno. …In the first "Three Boys" story, when Anthony was teamed up with the warden, they came across a cave with a dragon in it, and he happened to remember where it was- how he got the medallions in the first place is the REAL mystery. …Yes, dragons AND road-trips are cool. …As for the ghosts… lets just say revenge can go BEYOND the grave *insert eerie music here*

0o0o0o0o0o0

**Jimmy's POV**

Turns out our road-trip wasn't too far out from the 'supernatural' category.

We drove for maybe four hours down the road until we finally stopped at a hotel, where a dwarf stood behind a small check-in desk, while a gorgon bellhop pushed some luggage on a trolley. "Yes, may I help you?" the dwarf asked, his voice sounding British.

"We'd like some rooms," Elizabeth replied.

The dwarf took out a sign-in book. "Alright. Names, please,"

"I'm Rosanne Belle, and this is my husband, John Hawkins," Silver gave a nod.

"Alright… your room shall be on the third floor, room 205," The dwarf then looked at us. "Are you with them?"

"No, my friends, here, and I are heading to the coast," I replied, motioning toward Rudy, Danny, Radio, Derek, Drake, Izzy and Bartholawhatever. Al went to rent us a new ride, after Elizabeth gave him money- he offered to camp out in the car and keep watch outside.

"My mistake. …Names?"

"I'm Koga Yokai, and this is my friend Ichigo Mew," Radio nodded. "These two are my cousins, Eirie Yuki and Yuri Shibuya," Rudy and Danny gave small waves, while arching eyebrows at me. "The twins are Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachin, and my friend, Karin Maaka." Derek and Drake were trying to contain snickers while Izzy rolled her eyes. "And the last dude is Fakir Fakia, second-cousin twice-removed."

"Charming… Here are your room keys," The dwarf handed me four different keys, meaning that each of us were to share a room. …Joy. "Your rooms will be on the second floor, rooms 101-105,"

"Thank you," Radio said, and we walked to the elevator.

You're probably wondering where we came up with the names, right? Well, on the way here, we started to make out a list of cool aliases (like "Ozzy Stone" or "Dalila Black") but the trouble was, we kept forgetting them. Izzy then came up with a method she used, where she would use an alias of a TV-character, that way if someone were to do a background check, they'd only end up coming across a list of fan-bases. …We decided to start with characters from some animes, first, since- according to Rudy's fan-boyness- those are some of the most popular kinds of shows.

"Alright, so who's rooming with who?" I asked as the elevator took us up.

"Derek and I always room together, so there's that," Drake replied.

"I'll room with Radio, since we're basically both girls, so it would be more comfortable," Izzy suggested, and Radio shrugged in reply, showing no protest.

"I want to snuggle with my Rud-kins tonight, so there." Barth-Vader claimed, holding Rudy close. …If the thought didn't make me want to gag, I would've laughed.

That left me with one room-mate…

"Fight you for the bed, Princey," I told Danny, smirking as he sneered.

0o0o0o0o0o0

**Danny's POV**

Someone up there must really hate me.

First, it turns out I must be wed to become king. Then it turns out Radio and I are betrothed. _Then_ it turns out that Rudy wants nothing to do with me just when I realize how I feel about him, THEN we have to go on the run because Anthony is loose, and NOW- as if life wasn't bad enough- Jimmy and I are roommates!

Karma. You have GOT to hate it.

We entered our room… thank God we had TWO beds, rather than being forced to share one again (I'd rather not bring that up… lets just say I noticed a few tokens were missing from my wallet the next morning). We set our duffel bags down and I collapsed on my bed, while Jimmy turned on the television.

"So, any idea on what this 'Lobonia' country is?" Jimmy asked me.

I shrugged. "I've heard of it. It's just a small town located north-east," I replied, staring at the ceiling, wanting to go to sleep.

Jimmy walked over to the window, drawing the curtains shut. "Hopefully we won't stay there long, then. A lot of people in small towns get worked up whenever they see someone odd," he made a gesture to his wolf-ears. "And when they see US, they'll really flip out… unless it's another spook-filled town,"

"Wouldn't surprise me much," I closed my eyes, deciding to end the conversation there…

But Jimmy went on. "Just as long as we avoided my old neighborhood. I've been keeping away from that asshole-populated city ever since I was taken to Pent Towers,"

If it were me talking while Jimmy was trying to nap, he would have snapped at me to shut up before he stuffed his fist in my mouth, and I had an urge to say the same thing… but instead I just said, "Uh huh…" in an annoyed tone, hoping he'd get the hint.

He didn't. "I never figured I'd be on the run again after THAT experience… Only this time, we're trying to catch a criminal, rather than being the ones-"

"Jimmy, if you don't mind, I'd like to take a nap," I said, a little irritated.

He sneered at me in response. "Oh, forgive me, _your majesty, _for trying to have a decent conversation!" he then walked toward the door. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to find someone who'll appreciate my company,"

I rolled my eyes. "You know I didn't mean it like that- I'm surprised you're not worn out yourself,"

He scoffed. "Yeah, sitting in a car for hours is REALLY hard work," Opening the door, he was about to leave, but paused. "No. Fucking. Way."

"What is it?" I got up and looked over his shoulder to see what-

Oh. My. Gosh.

0o0o0o0o0o0

**Radio's POV**

Stranger things have happened…

Izzy and I put our things in our room and walked out, deciding to explore the hotel. …Well, SHE wanted to. I actually wanted to talk to Danny about my decision about our betrothal, hoping that he'd agree on the condition that it would save Rudy from any further harm from my brother. …How do I know that Bartholomew is hurting Rudy? Well, for one thing, back before my family was cursed he always wanted to control others, ordering everyone around and throwing fits- several of our servants quit because of him. I could also read Rudy's emotions, sensing his fear whenever Bartholomew got close to him.

Ooh, how I wanted to smack my brother for what he said to Rudy earlier today! And I could sense his lies when he told me about how he and Rudy met. I've known Rudy longer than he has, and I know for a fact that Rudy is NOT ashamed of his homosexuality and would NOT wear a dress! (especially after that horrible 'Anchantor' incident). If he so much has lays a finger on my friend, I swear I'll turn into a cat and devour him when he's a raven! Cruel? Yes, but it's justifiable in my case.

Speaking of Rudy and Bartholomew, we passed by their room, and I picked up the sound of my brother's cockiness and paused. "What is it?" Izzy asked me in a whisper.

"Bartholomew. He's picking on Rudy, it sounds like," I whispered back, listening by the door. "If only I could sneak in there…"

"I could help with that,"

"Really? How-mmf!"

It was something quite unexpected.

As soon as I turned my head, Izzy kissed me on the lips!

*Poof!*

Before I knew it, I was a cat (I didn't know it would work with girls, too!). "What was THAT all about?" I demanded to Izzy…

…Who was now a black-and-brown, busy-tailed cat with bat-wings. "Well, I figure it would be easy enough to slip inside there as cats, now that we're both small," she replied, shrugging.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, but how are we supposed to open the door?"

"Radio? I-Izzy?" A voice gasped, and we turned around to see Danny and Jimmy standing there-

DANNY AND JIMMY?

Oh, Lord, PLEASE don't tell me they saw everything…

"Uh… any reason why you two just kissed?" Jimmy asked, stunned.

Damn.

"We wanted to change into cats, so we kissed." Izzy answered first, giving them a firm glance. "Since YOU guys weren't around…"

"Why did you want to turn into cats?" Danny asked, arching an eyebrow.

"To get into Derek and Drake's room." Izzy replied before I could. "I want to see the look on their faces when they spot a pair of talking cats in the room."

"I can help with that," Jimmy said, reaching behind Danny.

"Hey!" Danny yelped, jumping a couple feet. Jimmy took out his wallet, grabbing his credit card. "What's the big idea?"

"This," Jimmy slid the card through the slit in the door, moving it down to the doorknob-bolt, and soon the door was opened for us. He handed the credit card back to Danny… in its bent-up shape. "Here you go,"

Danny sneered. "Why didn't you use YOUR credit-card?"

Jimmy shrugged. "I didn't want to damage it,"

I could practically see the fury of hell in Danny's glare.

"C'mon," Izzy whispered, nudging me, and we slipped inside, quietly shutting the door behind us and running to hide under the bed.

…Just in time to see Rudy storm out of the bathroom, followed by Bartholomew.

Not good.

0o0o0o0o0o0

**Rudy's POV**

All I ask for is a little space!

Bartholomew and I threw our bags on the ground, and I sat on one of the beds, sighing heavily. I didn't want to share a room with him… I would have preferred taking Al's place and sleeping in a car! I would've preferred sleeping in a gutter, even! Maybe even being chained back in Anthony's prison! Anywhere that would keep Bartholomew and I separated!

You see, when I first met him, he was actually a nice guy. We met in a dance-studio and practiced together. People started staring, but quickly learned to look away, finding it weird since we were the only boy-boy pair. Bartholomew told me at the end of our class that he was gay, probably seeing how I would react. I told him I was the same way, and next thing you know, he's asking me to the movies and we're starting a steady relationship… which started to crumble after I saw his Raven-half. I was shocked, though I let it slide, especially how he fed me some pity-story about always being shunned because of it. When he learned that I didn't mind, he said he'd never leave my side in order to share loyalty… though, I learned that wasn't what ALL he wanted to share. Soon, he wanted me to dress differently, look more girly so Derek and Drake wouldn't poke fun at him (though, they said they never did, when I asked them). And when my parents found out… lets just say things went downhill. Bartholomew then told me I should forget about them and that he'd be my new family- which was quite the opposite of what I wanted. I told him one day it wasn't working out and I wanted to just stay friends… but he didn't… and that's when I saw the dark side of him.

Bartholomew sat down next to me, cuddling close (too close) to me, nuzzling my cheek. "Mmm, finally some alone time!" he said, caressing my arm. "I thought we'd never get a moment together…"

"Gotta use the bathroom!" I said quickly, getting up. "Sorry, weak bladder, and it was a long trip!"

I ran into the bathroom before he could utter a word, and locked myself in. I walked over to the sink and turned it on for a few ten seconds, then flushed the toilet, making it sound like I was actually relieving myself. I then looked into the mirror, seeing how the color was drained from my face, and how the life seemed to be dissolving from my eyes. _It has to end NOW. _a stern voice in the back of my head said, forcefully. _If I let him keep pushing me around, I'm going to waste away!_

…_But how, though? _The negative part of my brain retorted. _If I so much as look away, he'll rip me apart! It's like Chris and Chrys' abuse all over again- only they didn't have talons!_

_Then again, I'll just be beaten either way… and, like Drake and Derek said, I have friends to back me up._

…_But I don't want them involved, I need to learn how to settle things myself. I don't want to be some damsel-in-distress my whole life!_

_Yet, damsels cry for help… but heroes retrieve it, and often have backup. Blu once mentioned that her cousins never would have gotten far if it wasn't for her…_

_Alright, it's settled. I'll tell him off, once and for al- what's that sound?_

*Click, click*

I turned around, seeing that the doorknob was turning… and Bartholomew walked in. He picked the lock! Oh, no… "Oh, good, I thought you were sick," he said, smirking as he tossed away a bobby-pin. "You know, Ru, we've been cooped up in Anthony's cell for so long, and neither of us have bathed… why don't we get ourselves cleaned up?"

I suppressed a shudder. "No thanks, I just took a shower last night," I retorted, hiding my nervousness.

He grinned. "So did I…" He approached me, lying a hand on my shoulder. "Come on, Rudy, we can make it a bubble-bath. Plus, I want to see you out of that hippy tye-dye shirt, anyway, it's just so damn ugly on y-"

I jerked out of his grip. "I said 'No thanks'." I then stormed out of the bathroom. Bartholomew, of course, followed.

"Rudy, what is the matter?"

"YOU are the matter!" I turned sharply toward him, clenching my fists. "You always keep smothering me, and whenever I pull away, you bite my head off for it! You keep telling me how I should look, how I should act, and where to go and what to do-"

He scoffed. "I'm just trying to keep you from looking like an idiot."

"You're being a fucking dictator! You won't even let me talk to my family because you keep saying they're not good for me, when you're really saying they're not good for YOU! It's not always about YOUR opinions, Bartholomew! If you really loved me, you'd accept who I am, and that includes my family!"

He glowered, his eyes red. "Why should I accept them? They don't accept our kind, Rudolph. They believe us to be abominations! The whole world does! That's why I dressed you up as a girl, so we wouldn't be ashamed-"

"You mean so YOU wouldn't be ashamed! I don't give a damn about what people thing of me, but YOU do! That's why you keep trying to change me… You're ashamed of me!"

"No I'm not, I love you! Everything I do is out of love-"

"Oh? Was THIS done out of love?" I tore off my shirt, turning my back to him.

What was on my back? Three scars symbolizing what kind of 'love' Bartholomew showed to me when he was in his raven-form, after I pissed him off… along with several lashes given to me by Anthony when the bird-brain got on his back side.

He just stood there in shocked silence.

"Three years… For three years you criticized, abused, and caused me grief!" I snapped, gritting my teeth, turning back to him. "Love doesn't include being brutal just because you don't like something! You either accept them, or just end it! …And personally, it should have ended a long time ago."

Huh, boy, I think I hit a nerve.

Bartholomew turned into a giant Humanoid Raven, and swiped at my chest, leaving three more claw-marks on my skin. "IT DOESN'T END UNLESS I SAY SO!" he roared, pinning me down.

*BAM!*

0o0o0o0o0o0

**Izzy's POV**

Some of us just gotta let the truth out.

I had seen enough. Seeing those scars on Rudy's back was enough to know that Barf-head was a ruthless, bratty, bossy, childish, critical, over-bearing, insulting, overly-temperamental douche bag! So, what? A guy breaks up with him, so he just has to lose it? He deserved it! I'd break up with the asshole too if he kept acting like some abusive drama-queen!

_{Slowly outta line and drifting closer in your sights}_

_{So play it out I'm wide awake, it's a scene about me}_

So, in response to him hurting my friend, I shot out under the bed and punched him in the face. …A regular cat may not have much swing, but a VAMPIRE cat can really do damage!

_{There's something in your way and now someone is gonna play}_

_{And if you can't get what you want, well it's all because of me}_

"OW! ACK! GETITOFF! OOH! YOW!" Bird-brain squawked as I lung to his face, scratching feathers off his head while gnawing at his beak. "HELP! I'M BEING ATTACKED BY A BATTY CAT!"

"Don't you EVER!" *scratch* "Hurt my FRIEND!" *scrape* "EVER!" *whack!* "AGAIN!" I shouted between swipes. I then leaped off his head, standing in front of Rudy, while Radio sat beside him.

In response, he screeched and smacked me across the room with his wing, making me hit the wall.

_{Now dance, fucker, dance, man I never had a chance}_

"Alright… now I'm PISSED!" I shouted, turning to Radio. "Kiss me!"

"W-What?" She replied, confused.

I rolled my eyes. "Kiss me so I can give him an ass-kicking of a lifetime!"

"Oh!" She ran over, after finally getting it, and gave me a peck on the lips.

*Poof!*

Back in my semi-human form, I threw a punch at his beak, kicked him in the groin, and… oh, I don't want to go into detail, so lets just get to the point and say I basically killed the bird without stones.

_{And no one even knew, it was really only you}_

Feather-head reverted back to human-form, gasping and panting. "Now, if you don't mind, Rudy will be rooming with US," I said forcefully, grabbing Rudy's bag and helping him to his feet. "If you have a problem with that, you can take it up with my fist." With that, we exited the room.

Crossing the hall into our own bedroom, I sat Rudy on the bed, while Radio grabbed a first-aid kit from her bag (she insisted everyone should bring one). I grabbed the bandages from her and began to wrap up Rudy's abdomen. "While I help Rudy, you can go talk some sense into your brother," I told her.

She nodded, then walked out, her eyes full of bitterness. …Either it was because she was really pissed with her brother, or I was alone in the room with her old crush. Either way, it wouldn't be a good idea to cross paths with THAT cat-girl.

"You didn't have to do that, I could have handled it," Rudy muttered, grudgingly.

"Yeah, you could have handled it, and Anthony won't kill us." I retorted, rolling my eyes.

"Hey, I was about to do something until you-" he began to protest.

"Yeah, you were about to get slaughtered!" I sneered, letting out a sigh. "I don't get why you stuck around with him, Rudy. You should've dumped him when you first met him!"

"He seemed like a nice guy when I met him! …(sigh) and I TRIED to end it a long time ago… that's when he got brutal."

"You should've told someone then. Derek and Drake were there, they could've helped you!"

"I wanted to do it on my own! …it just took me time to finally get the back-bone."

"Yeah, three years of getting scars on your back and being chained in Anthony's prison!" I shook my head. "Rudy… just because you want to do something on your own, doesn't mean you should- especially when it comes to the supernatural! I'm lucky I have backup with me on my cases!"

He sighed, hanging his head low. "I'm just sick of being a wimp…"

I had to chuckle. "Rudy, believe me, the way you just stood up to that banana-beak, you are NO wimp. …Heck, you were NEVER a wimp! Remember the way you helped us handle Diablo back in Fairytale Land? And I heard it was YOU who shot Jacque! Trust me, Rudy, you're a lot bolder than you give yourself credit for."

He only nodded. "Yeah… though now, Bartholomew will be looking for a way to get me back- by force,"

I scoffed. "Don't worry about Barthanova too soon, man. If he tries anything, he'd be committing suicide. …Heck, I may just call up the warden, and have her issue a restraining order for you. That way, if he comes within even 100 feet of you, a gang of phantoms will beat the shit out of him, so you don't have to!"

Rudy chuckled. "I don't think I'm strong enough to take him on,"

"It's not always about strength. It's about using the right moves. He was twice as big as me in that chicken-form of his, yet I still beat him! …And I'll teach you a few skills to use on him,"

"R-Really?"

"Heck yes! …Unless you're one of those guys who think girls are weak and would feel awkward."

"Oh, no no no! I'd love to train with you! …People assume I'm a girl, anyway, so it wouldn't be that much of a deal."

I looked at him, quizzically. "By the way… how did you find out you were a homosexual, if you don't mind my asking?"

He shrugged. "I guess I figured it out when I found several male actors hansom, and didn't care much for girls- er, no offense."

"It's alright. I've always wondered, though… do gay guys find something unappealing about girls? I mean, I wouldn't blame them- a lot of girls I've been around with were complete bitches. Never could find one I liked- Radio being an exception."

"No, it's not that. We just prefer guys. I just see girls as, well, companions."

I rubbed my chin. "Ah, I see. So, you see them as equals?"

"Right."

"Huh. …You know, they say homosexuality is unchristian, but I think- in your case- it shows a bit of goodness. Do you remember the story of Adam and Eve?"

He groaned. "I know… There's a woman for every man…"

"Well, yeah that, but do you remember what they were like before they ate the Forbidden Fruit?"

Rudy scratched his head. "I know that, when they ate it, they were shocked to realize they were naked."

"Exactly. Before that, they didn't care about each other's bodies, just each other. You like women, in a friendly way, but don't care about their bodies- I believe that's how ALL men should be like."

He blushed, smiling. "Well… what about women? They care about a man's body, too, right?"

"True… But, if you ask me, our bodies aren't THAT different."

He cocked his head. "How so?"

"Well, for one thing, we all have eyes, noses, fingers, feet, etc… the only distinguishing characteristics is that men grow facial hair, and we have different (ahem) reproductive parts. But we're similar in everything else."

"But, girls also have… um…"

"Breasts? Yeah, but some girls are flat-chested. And I've seen some moobs on a few fat-guys, too. …It's just bulging skin, if you ask me. Hell, I don't see why everyone finds them so appealing!"

Rudy blushed deeper. "Right… So, have you ever gone out with a guy?"

"Nah. I find all men are idiots- except you, Jimmy, and Danny. Heck, I never even kissed one!"

"Yes you have."

I arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Have I?"

"Yeah, that night we first met, remember? You gave me a peck on the cheek,"

I thought about it, recalling the event. "Oh, yeah… while Danny was hurling on someone's lawn! Heh heh. I meant on the lips, though."

"Oh."

"…I've wanted to, of course. Just to try it out."

He looked at me. "Really?"

"Sure. I mean, it's only kissing, right? Not too much of a deal."

"I guess not…" he blushed deeper.

"Have you ever kissed a girl, Rudy?"

He froze. "No… well, I kissed Radio once, when she was a cat, but… n-not a human… one. I'm not into girls, really."

"Duh, I know THAT. I just wanted to know if you've ever tried it."

He shook his head. "Izzy…? Do… YOU want to…?"

I shrugged. "It's up to you. I'm just asking."

He sighed, then shut his eyes. "I guess… I could try it once…" he then leaned close.

"Alright." I pressed my lips onto his.

*Poof!*

I was a cat. "Whoops, uh, one more time."

*Poof!*

Two seconds after the second kiss, I pulled away. "See? Lips don't have too much of a gender-difference, either."

"Yeah, not THAT different… save you changing into a cat… Was it good?"

I chuckled, patting him on the back. "It was the best kiss I've ever gotten." I then stood up to leave.

"Hold it! I thought you said you've never kissed a guy before!"

I rolled my eyes. "I haven't. Didn't I ever tell you that I'm a lesbian?"

And then I was out the door, meeting up with Radio. "Bartholomew locked his door." she told me.

"Ah, the bird-brain is probably just pissed about getting his ass kicked for once,"

We continued walking, though Radio slowed down a bit. "Izzy… why did you have me kiss you when fighting Bartholomew, but not Rudolph?"

…Boy, I need to start opening up more.

0o0o0o0o0o0

**Al's POV**

I lied on top of the SUV, looking up at the stars, my carpet right underneath me.

That's when they attacked.

_{And now you'll lead the way}_

"Oh, please." I scoffed, leaping into the air, making the two cat-creature heads collide with a humorous *konk!*. "I thought cats were supposed to be sneaky!" They roared at me, so I leaped onto my carpet and flew off, leading them to the back entrance of the hotel.

_{Show the light of day}_

One of them managed to climb up the wall and land on the carpet, but I was ready, doing a barrel-roll and forcing the feline to grip onto the end of it. The other one got me from the side, grabbing me. …No big deal though.

_{Nice work, you did}_

I pointed ahead, and the cat-creature looked over-

*BANG!*

…his face hitting a light-post, knocking him off the carpet. The one still hanging on was pulling himself up. In order to keep him from being in worse-pain, I took a sharp-turn around the corner, whipping him off and making him crash onto the hood of a Minotaur's sedan, which would guarantee him a brutal beating from the bull-head. (Okay, so it wasn't THAT painless).

_{You're gonna go far, kid}_

"Now to get the otheraugh!" I began to say, until an arrow struck me in the shoulder, knocking me off the carpet and into some bushes. My vision blurred for a while, and I saw little birds flying around my head.

As my vision cleared I looked up, seeing the two cat-creatures were now above me, not too happy for what I did to them… though I was more shocked to see who ELSE was with them.

"What the…? You traitorous bastard-!" I began to snap, until I was hit over the head, and everything went black.

_{Trust, deceived}_

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Sorry for the new cliffhanger! Also, did anyone see Izzy's statement coming?

Please review. Despite this terrible chapter, please hold back on the flames.


	19. Ghostly Scares

And after long weeks of not updating… here's a new chapter!

Remember, songs can be identified by the little icons: *Just a Dream*, {You're Gonna Go Far Kid}, and ~Gay Boyfriend~. …Sorry that I forgot to write this down the last couple of chapters. :P

**Reviewer Thank-thank-thank-a-thank YOU! (I forgot to take my meds, yes.)**

**Scoobycool9: **Actually, when a girl kisses another girl it doesn't always mean they're lesbian (curse the media for making us all think otherwise). …We shall find out who knocked out Al, and he'll (hopefully) be okay, if I'm in a merciful mood.

**Elizabeth: **I'll give you a bag of cookies if you can spot the other anime-refs ;) …Well, I felt like lightening up on Rudy, which resulted in giving Danny a hard time (oh will I ever stop? XD) …Vampire kitties ftw! …I had to give Rudy a moment, you know? …Izzy got him XD …Surprised you with Izzy's statement, didn't I? lol …Barth-Vader may just be the traitor, but there's always another suspect…

**Starspring: **The host probably guessed they were ancestral names (that, or he's used to people using made-up names). …I see that everyone likes the 'Barth-Vader' nickname (yay!) …Yes, go Rudy and Izzy! …I wanted to try something between Izzy and Rudy, don't know how it would work. …And yes, the cliffhangers have returned!

ALSO, I've come up with a list of different pairings for the characters, yet I remain undecided… so you guys can vote. JimmyxRadio? DannyxRudy? DannyxRadio? RudyxIzzy? IzzyxJimmy? RudyxRadio? JimmyxDanny- oh, wait, that would be too weird… :p You can decide!

0o0o0o0o0o0

It was late at night, and Rudy walked out of the bedroom. So much had happened that day, and his head was about to burst. Danny showing feelings toward him yet he turned him down; Anthony escaped; Bartholomew nearly killing him after he broke up with him (at long last); Izzy kissing him (twice) only to confess she was a lesbian… He needed to clear his head.

He couldn't stop thinking about Danny, however, the look on his friend's face when he just shot him down. He wished that he had just imagined the whole thing, that being chained up in Anthony's cell had messed with his mind and his fantasies and nightmares were mixing with reality… but he knew that it was real. He had broken another friend's heart. _Next thing you know, I'll probably be hurting Jimmy somehow, _he told himself, and the thought made him shudder. If he did anything to upset Jimmy, he'd end up in an early grave. The rebel may be his friend, but once you got on his bad side… heck, he'd be worse than Bartholomew in his raven-form, even without his werewolf-prowess!

Rudy paused just then, seeing that the hotel had an indoor gym, the basketball court of it clear and empty. No one was around, so he went in, slipping off his shoes, then… began to dance, solo. It felt nice to be alone, for once, having a large amount of space to 'glide' across the floor in swift motions, feeling free for the first time since he was rescued. He was careful not to stretch his torso too far, for the new wound still ached beneath the bandages, but the pain couldn't keep him from enjoying this moment of solitary movement.

_It's been a while since I've practiced on my own, _Rudy thought as he began to spin. _Bartholomew always held me too close, and wouldn't let me go for more than two seconds… Finally, I got some space to breathe!_ With that, he gave a leap, landing in a good balance.

"You dance lovely,"

"WAUGH!" Rudy cried, slipping and landing on his rear. He turned around, seeing Red Rose and Silver watching him.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to break your concentration," Red Rose walked over and helped him to his feet. "I didn't know you were so graceful,"

"Well, I-I took a couple c-classes," Rudy replied, blushing.

"Don't worry, we won't tell the others," Silver assured him seeing the embarrassment on his face. "Jimbo wouldn't shut up about it, I know that much."

"I don't think Danny would leave any comment," Red Rose said. "He takes dance classes too… though, I doubt YOU had Ro'hberta breathing down your neck, Rudy."

"Well, Bartholomew never really gave me that much space," Rudy responded.

"We heard Radio and Izzy talking about him in the hallway earlier." Silver said, arching an eyebrow. "Word is, the bird-brain has been giving you trouble."

"Yeah, b-but it's nothing to worry about. Izzy's going to help me get a restraining order and teach me self-defense, so…"

"I'd have Jimmy teach you, too. He's grown up with a few sons of bitches in the ghetto,"

"Okay…" They began walking out, and down the hall. "Hey, what are you two doing up this late, anyway?"

Silver and Red Rose both froze, then smiled. "Oh, uh, we were just taking a little moonlight stroll- er, you know, scouting the area." Red Rose replied, as innocently as she could.

"Yeah, you know, just helping out Al," Silver added, clearing his throat. "By the way, Rudy, on my way here, I saw your mother."

Rudy's eyes widened. "You did? How is she? Is everything okay? What-" he began, feeling nervous and excited about the mention of his mom.

"Calm down, lad! She just said she missed you… And, I'm curious on a certain subject," he turned to Red Rose. "Would you mind if I talked to him alone? This is a personal matter."

"By all means," Red Rose then walked off.

Rudy sighed, hanging his head low. "It's about my dad, isn't it?" he muttered.

Silver cocked his head. "How'd you know?" he questioned.

"He's one reason why I was so nervous about 'coming out of the closet'. He always thought my baking, and liking romantic stories, and wanting to take dance classes were all just phases I was going through, and hoped I would outgrow them. The first time I told my parents I was gay… well, if my mother wasn't there, I'm sure he would have lost it." he sighed, shaking his head. "When Bartholomew came along and dressed me up as a girl, my dad and I got into a fight, him saying I was going too far… Bartholomew intervened and made things worse, saying that I had the right to make my own choices- the hypocrite- and told my dad to stay out of our lives. I've tried contacting him afterwards, to try to straighten things out, but he refused to talk to me… and it didn't help that Bartholomew deleted him out of my phone."

Silver only stood there, listening.

"They're ashamed of me… both of them. I was never what they wanted me to be, never good enough… now, my dad won't talk to me, and Bartholomew wants to kill me no doubt." he looked at Silver. "You were right, Silver. Homosexuals never have it easy,"

He scoffed. "It's not that you're homosexual that your life is so damn hard, Rudy. It's how others deal with it. You let them get you down, and your life will be miserable. Now, I'm not for homos, but I'm not against them either. What they chose to be is between them and God, like what I told you long ago. But if you want to express yourself- bake, dance, wear dresses, all that girly stuff- then go for it, I don't care! And if anyone tells you that you should be something else, or nag that you act like other guys and shit like that, just tell them to stick it up their ass and move on! You choose your own path, Rudy. No one needs to give you directions, except the Lord Himself."

Rudy nodded, giving a small smile. "Thanks, Silver."

Silver shrugged. "Ah, no problem. I'm just sick of everyone in this day and age being told who they should b- what the hell?"

Rudy followed Silver's glance, seeing Derek and Drake carrying Al down the hall, the magic carpet draped over Drake's shoulder… and one of them was carrying a birdcage. "I told you we should have left the bird outside!" Derek sneered.

"And let him turn human and get away? Fat chance!" Drake scoffed.

"Guys, what's going on?" Rudy gasped as he and Silver ran up to the twins.

"A conspiracy, that's what!" Something in the cage snapped, and it turned out to be a raven… Bartholomew! "Let me out, you Gemini Jackasses!"

"Ah, pipe down, you treacherous crow!" The twins snapped.

"What are you talking about?" Silver asked.

"We were outside, looking for Al, hoping we could hop on his carpet and take it for a joy ride, just in time to see Mew and a few cats beat the shit out of him!" Drake snapped, giving the cage a smack.

"We managed to lure the cats away and toward a minotaur- boy, he was really pissed. I think it's because one of them might've smashed the windshield of his car," Derek added. "Anyway, while the bull-head was brawling with the felines, Derek and I ran back and punched Mew's lights out."

"Yeah, then when he tried to change into a crow and fly off, Drake caught him in a cage!" he looked at his twin. "I told you bringing one would be handy."

"They lie! It's all lies!" Bartholomew cried, squawking a bit.

"I see…" Silver said, then grabbed the cage. "Allow me to handle the traitor," He then opened the cage, letting Bartholomew fly out.

"HEY! What the hell are you-" Drake and Derek both began to shout.

*BAM! POW!*

Up until Silver punched them. Rudy quickly grabbed Al and dragged him off to the side, watching as Silver gripped the twins by their throats. The commotion caused a few guests to step out of their rooms, including the others. "Silver! What on earth…?" Radio gasped.

"Now tell me the truth! Why did you knock out Al?" Silver snarled.

"Silver, what are you doing?" Drake choked.

"Yeah, what gives? Don't you trust us?" Derek stammered.

"I trust you… if you really ARE you," Silver retorted, eyeing them. "I know how to tell Drake and Derek apart, so either you both were just speaking in third person a second ago, or you're not really them!"

"Of course we are! I'm Drake, and that's Derek!" Drake gulped, nodding to his twin.

"Bull shit!" Bartholomew snapped, having changed back into a human… and he had a black eye and cut lip. "I've been around the twins long enough to tell them apart, namely from their tones. Drake speaks more suavely, and Derek speaks more sophisticatedly." he crossed his arms. "Either you both are having an identity crisis, or Silver's right- you're fakes!"

"Told you we shouldn't have gone with the twins," Derek sneered… only his tone was different, sounding younger.

"It was your idea, you twit," Drake snarled, his voice sounding French.

Silver released the twins, seeing their eyes glow and their bodies hovering. "Good Lord, they've been possessed!" A manticore, one of the other guests gasped, running back into her room.

"Someone call an exorcist!" A thin kretin cried, running down the hall.

"Those voices…" Rudy gasped as Danny knelt beside him. "They sound like…"

"Jacque!" Danny gasped.

"Anchantor!" Radio snapped.

"I thought we killed those guys!" Jimmy sneered.

"Our revenge didn't stop at a grave, and we won't rest until you're dead!" Jacque snarled.

"And we'll capture your spirits, and will torture your souls for eternity!" Anchantor added.

"Okay, seriously, if you're going to threaten us, sound a little more dramatic." Izzy scoffed, crossing her arms. "And get the hell out of my brothers' bodies!"

"_You can't make us do anything," _Jacque and Anchantor said in unison, their voices taking a demonic tone. _"If you harm us, you will only end up harming your friends. You cannot kill us, yet we can kill you. No one can help you. At long last, you will-"_

"Back off my friends, ya varmints!" came a disembodied voice.

"What the hel-"

Drake's body suddenly gave a jerk, his body suddenly flinching and turning and tossing, as the following sound effects took place.

*WHAP! POW! BONK! BAM! WHACK! CRACK! SMACK! KONK! SNAP!*

Jacque's spirit suddenly oozed out through Drake's mouth, looking dazed, bruised, and bloodied… even though he didn't have blood anymore, so… ectoplasm? Well, something was leaking through his nostrils! Drake stumbled back, holding his head and slumping against the wall.

"Yer next!"

"AUGH!" Anchantor shrieked, making Derek's body run. "No! No! Leave me alone! Leave me aloOOAAUGH!" He was suddenly jerked back, and just like Drake's, Derek's body began twitching and jerking as if someone was beating every ounce of shit out of him, as more sound effects were heard.

*BAM! SNAP! CRACK! POW! WHAP!*

Anchantor burst out of Derek, though something pulled him back in. "Oh, no ya don't!"

"YIKES!"

*SMACK! BONK! WHACK! KONK!*

"AAAIIIEEEE!"

*SPLAT!*

The 'splat' resulted when Anchantor was thrown out of Derek, splattering against the wall. "Lets get out of here!" He flew over, grabbed Jacque and shot off.

"We'll be baACK!" Jacque shouted, yelping when Anchantor made a sharp turn.

"What the heck happened?" Derek and Drake both asked, dizzy and confused.

"Ya'll let yer bodies git taken over by a couple of polter-heads, ya ding-a-lings!" Came the disembodied voice. Suddenly, a girl appeared: she had dark skin, long black hair, wore a white robe, had wings of an eagle, and wore a familiar pink knitted cap, and looked to be about 16.

"Who are you?" Red Rose asked.

"We know her," Jimmy said, smirking as he approached the small angel. "What's up, Lilly?"

0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Ya-tah-da! Lilly returns! Aren't I just full of surprises? ^-^

Please review. No flames or rabid penguins. …Yes, its possible- people DO flame.


	20. Lilly the Guardian

Laptop is STILL in the ICU...

**Reviewer Does Anyone Have A Laptop I Can Borrow?**

**Elizabeth: **Don't worry, I'll give the answers at the end of the story ^-^ ...Chew-toys are hard to replace (don't ask how I know that). ...Yep, pretty tight situation, eh? ...Yeah, I decided to throw Anchantor in here, since he has more of a history with the characters (didn't expect the twist tho, did you?) ...I couldn't resist putting Lilly in ^-^

**Starspring: **Thanks for your votes :) ...I know. What really ticks me off is how people make a slash out of anything! (see profile for more details). ...Yes, even the dead never quit. ...And glad you liked Lilly's appearance! :D

**Scoobycool9: **Eh, I doubt JimmyxLilly would work, since there's an age-difference and one is *ahem* deceased. Thanks for the votes though! Sorry it took so long to introduce Lilly, too.

0o0o0o0o0

Everyone stared. Those who didn't know Lilly only arched eyebrows in confusion, while her friends could only gape. She was only ten (judging from the time that she died) when they last saw the ghost-girl, having passed on after helping the three boys with their problems. Now, here she was, looking like a teenage angel, and almost seeming alive.

"Lilly! What the- how the- huh?" Rudy stammered, at a loss for words.

"We thought you were dead! ...Er, though you were dead when we met you, but..." Izzy added, scratching her head, her cat-ears twitching.

"What are you doing back?" Silver asked, the most calm out of the rest. "We figured you passed on years ago."

"I did, and I decided to take the task in watching over those I love," Lilly told them. "Ya see, the Lord is always sending angels to protect His people, and when He knew that you'd all be in another jam, He sent me to look after ya. I'm yer guardian angel!"

"The Lord sent you?" Radio questioned.

"He sure did. Normally, we angels normally have to be incognito or remain unseen, so people don't freak out... but since everyone here has already seen sights to take their breaths away, I figured it wouldn't hurt to show myself around ya'll... Though, the Lord said only you guys will see me in my angelic form. Others will just see me as a regular person."

"You're an angel? Then where are your wings and halo?" Bartholomew scoffed.

Lilly looked at her outstretched wings, then gave her friends a look. "See what I mean?" she turned to Bartholomew, sharply. "I've been seeing how you've been treatin' Rudy, and yer parents are pretty darn mad about it, too."

"You've seen our parents?" Radio gasped.

"Yep, they're nice folks, and yer sisters are mighty sweet, too."

"But... how did they...? I mean, if they're like us, I thought..."

Lilly shook her head. "I'm sorry, Radio. Turns out that yer sisters were shot during a hunting season, yer mother got attacked by a bear, and yer dad got skinned by poachers. ...Strangest thing was, they changed human after they died, which confused the wits out of everybody."

Radio winced, and Bartholomew bowed his head. Their family was gone...

"I met yer parents too, Danny-boy," Lilly continued, turning to the young monarch. "They're mighty proud that you're taking the throne, and told me to give you some advice: Follow yer heart, despite what others think... and get rid of Ro'hberta, the old hag has worked there long enough."

Danny nodded, his heart feeling warmth at how proud his parents were of him... and how they also shared an annoyance at Rothberta.

"And I met yer mom too, Jimbo. She said she couldn't be prouder... and was so happy to see that Silver kept his promise on taking care of you, too."

Silver and Jimmy looked at each other, smiling and shrugging.

"Did you meet our parents too?" Derek and Drake both asked.

Lilly scratched her head. "I don't think so... I've never seen anyone who looked like you guys or Izzy, and no one said anything about ya..." she replied.

"Well... Thanks for taking care of those goons for us," Red Rose said.

"Don't get your hopes up. We've still got trouble," Silver retorted. "Jacque and Anchantor aren't gone yet. And we've still got Anthony on our tail."

"We'd better check out and get moving, then." Jimmy said. "If they're on our trail, we'd better get to Lobonia like but fast."

"Jimbo's right. I may be yer guardian angel, but you guys are facing things that I can't help ya with by myself," Lilly added.

"Then lets load up and get out of here," Izzy scoffed.

Everyone ran to their rooms and retrieved their things. Al, still unconcious was carried out to the car via flying carpet, with Jimmy at his side, being lied down in the back seat. Rudy was volunteered to drive, with Lilly sitting with him up front as they drove.

0o0o0o0o0

The sun was coming up by the time they reached Lobonia, and by that time Rudy was close to swerving into a ditch from lack of sleep, if not for Lilly talking to him to keep him awake, namely telling him what Heaven was like. "I'm telling ya, there's colors up there that no one's ever seen before. And oh boy, Jesus Christ is really something, too. He doesn't look anything like the pictures of him, but he sure is nice. When I first got up there, he introduced me to God, and showed me around..."

"Sounds like that book, _Heaven Is For Real,_" Rudy commented.

"I've read that book before- There's tons of books in Heaven, even ones that haven't been written yet! I even know how that Twilight saga is gonna end-"

"Do NOT bring that damn series up!" Izzy snapped from the backseat. "It's bad enough Meyer made vampires sparkle and made every hormonal girl get hyped up on her sexual fantasies, seeing vampires and werewolves as creatures you'd want to screw with. What happened to them being fierce, feared creatures of the night? And using the cliched 'Vampire vs. Werewolf' plot was bad enough WITHOUT the love-triangle!"

"Thanks, Lilly, you got her started on her Anti-Twilight rant," Jimmy sneered.

"Sorry," Lilly shrugged. "Would you be happy to know that Bella dies and Edward commits suicide?"(a/n: Please, God, let it happen...)

"That'll be the movie I'd like to see," Izzy replied.

"So, what else does Heaven have?" Rudy asked as they pulled into town, parking by a hotel.

Before Lilly could reply, something smacked into the car and sent it rolling! Jimmy thought fast, using his werewolf strength to tear off the doors and get everyone out... though, once they were out, they had a feeling it would have been safer to stay in the car.

Standing before them was the biggest, fiercest, most horrifying creature they've ever seen.

"Danny... please tell me they taught you how to slay dragons," Jimmy gulped, as the beast roared.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Darn these cliffhangers! Alright, I promise I WON'T leave you guys hanging next time! I just have a limited amount of time on the library computers (making me miss my laptop even more...)

Please review. Don't flame... that would be the dragon's job.


	21. Everything Goes Wrong

Yello, peoples! I come baring a new chapter… and muffins! (holds up platter)

Also, in the last chapter, the description of Heaven in the last chapter comes from that book "Heaven Is For Real". A great novel and I highly recommend it if any of you would like to read more details.

**Reviewer Thanks and Help Yourselves**

**Scoobycool9: **Well, I basically got the description from the book "Heaven Is For Real", it's pretty good. …Yeah, I heard about that. And I'm sure he would, and yes a stake through the heart would kill a vampire, along with several other ways (I'd list them, but it would take forever). And don't worry about ranting, it makes reviews worthwhile ^-^

**Elizabeth: **Still like that nickname I see XD …Danny may just take you up on that offer ;) …I just HAD to throw in the rant! (I have more in some of my other stories). …Hey, it's a fairytale. We had to include a dragon SOMETIME, right?

**Starspring: **Not exactly. In the book I mentioned above, in Heaven, you never grow old (and you don't need glasses!) and time in Heaven isn't quite relevant either (if I remember correctly- you'll have to read the book). …My computer is better now! :D …Same here, sister! Anti-twilight fans UNITE! …And interesting doesn't end at the dragon!

ALSO, I've come up with a little game. Remember in a previous chapter how all the characters (except Silver and Red Rose) came up with aliases from animes? Whoever can guess what shows the names are from correctly, you'll get… *drum roll* …to choose the couple pairings!

And here's the list of songs, too:

*Just A Dream* (by Nelly)

{You're Gonna Go Far Kid} (by The Offspring)

And ~Gay Boyfriend~ (by The Hazzards)

Okay, I'm going to end the author's note here, because it's taking up almost the whole page. 8P

0o0o0o0o0o0

It was no surprise for the others to see Anthony standing on the dragon's back, grinning evilly. "Anthony Putsenbutes… I should've figured YOU'D be behind this," Izzy sneered. "Though it shocks me to see you team up with a dragon, rather than slaying it."

"It's easy when you have control over it," Anthony retorted with a smirk. "Now, lets avoid swapping smart remarks and get down to business. Either surrender yourselves now, or my little pet here will scorch you until you're nothing but ashes!"

"We'll never give in to you, you overgrown pussy!" Drake snapped.

"Yeah, we'd rather be barbecued!" Derek added, forcefully.

"Speak for yourselves!" Bartholomew gulped.

"We can take you AND that overgrown lizard on!" Jimmy sneered, his claws sticking out. "We've beaten you before…"

"And you'll beat me again, yeah yeah, heard the cliché before," Anthony sneered, waving his paw nonchalantly. "It's your funeral…" the werecat gripped the medallion. "Dragon, ataque!"

The dragon responded immediately, breathing out a wave of fire. The group leaped out of the way, watching as their car was set afire. "There goes our deposit…" Drake and Derek deadpanned.

"Now you're in for it!" Izzy shouted, then leaped at Anthony, bat-swings spreading out of her back and making her glide upward, kicking the cat-creature upside the jaw and off the dragon's back. Anthony hissed, then took out his sword, lunging at her, though she dodged his strike. "Missed!"

A couple other were cats ran after the others, both of them Siamese. "We'll handle THESE kitties," Derek stated, and the twins began to fight the two Siamese cats (a/n: no pun intended), swinging punches at their faces, and grabbing their swords. The were cats hissed, then stuck out their claws.

"I believe they're pissed." Drake stated. His brother shrugged, and they continued, fending the cat creatures back with their own swords.

The dragon, in the meantime, chased after its prey. It blew fire, setting a house ablaze, the family inside screaming. "Hold on!" Radio called, rushing toward the building. "Bartholomew, c'mon! We've got to save them!"

"Oh… the things I do for my sisters!" Bartholomew groaned, but obeyed, changing into his raven-form and swooping in to rescue the people on the top floor, while Radio used her own prowess to navigate through the flames and guide the rest out.

In the meantime, the dragon managed to catch Jimmy by the tail, hoisting him up. "YEOW! Let go of me, you damned reptile!" he shouted, swiping at the dragon's snout. The creature roared in pain, dropping him.

Silver ran forward, his arms out. "Hang on, Jim!" he called, catching Jimmy, then yelled in pain. "OW! JIMMY! RETRACT. THE. CLAWS!"

Jimmy looked, seeing that he had dug his claws into Silver's shoulders, drawing blood. "Oh, shit! Sorry!"

*WHAP!*

The dragon swatted them to the side, making them crash through a bar's wall. "Good lord!" a woman working there gasped when they collided with a table, rushing over to them. "Are you alright?"

"Fine, though we-" Silver began to remark, but paused, looking at the woman. "Wait… you look familiar."

A roar from outside jogged their senses. "Fight now, talk later," Jimmy said quickly, grabbing Silver, and they ran back out.

Anthony swung is sword once more, trying to slice Izzy across the chest, but she dodged again. "Missed again! Man, that's like the 15th time you've-" she began to tease.

"YAH!" Anthony bellowed, leaping and attacking her, catching her in a chokehold. He dropped his sword and took out a dagger, stabbing her in the heart. "I didn't miss THAT time, bitch!"

Izzy's wings drooped, her ears twitched, her tail became bushier, and her eyes glazed over as she fell to the ground, a puddle of blood growing around her as she lay there, no doubt dead.

Radio and Bartholomew managed to save the family, soot covering their faces. "You're… you're a bird!" one of the children gasped, looking at them. "A-And, you're a cat!"

"Thank you for noticing. Now, you'd better run for your lives," Bartholomew answered, thumbing at the dragon.

The family didn't hesitate to heed his advice.

*CRASH!*

They looked over, seeing that Derek had been thrown through a window…

*CRUNCH!*

While Drake was tossed onto the hood of a jeep.

"Cheap shot…!" The twins both groaned, falling unconscious.

Danny and Rudy were standing with Red Rose and Al, who was still unconscious. "We've got to help." Rudy said, frantically. "How do you take down a dragon?"

"You have to pierce its heart," Red Rose answered. "Though, it won't be easy with this breed,"

"Why not?" Danny asked.

"It's a Gem,"

"I could tell by the way it scorched the SUV," Rudy stammered.

"No, that's what it's called. A Gem Dragon- its scales are as tough as diamonds, its teeth as solid as rubies… it's like a lethal, fire breathing jewel!"

"Then how do we stop it?" Danny questioned.

"Well… it's only vulnerable from the inside."

"So, in order to stop it, we're going to have to let it… eat us?" Rudy stammered.

"Ironically, yes."

Al then stirred, coming to. "What happened? What's going on?" he groaned. A roar jolted him to further consciousness. "What the…? WHERE THE HELL DID THAT COME FROM?"

"Anthony happened to adopt a new pet," Danny answered. "And the only way to kill it is from the inside!"

Al looked around. "Where's my carpet?"

Rudy paled. "Shit… we left it in the SUV!" he gasped.

Al looked over at the SUV, his eyes widening. "YOU BURNED MY CARPET?"

"No! …The dragon did."

Jimmy and Silver arrived just then. "You know, rather than hiding, you guys COULD help us out!" Jimmy snapped.

"We've figured out how to kill the dragon… from the inside," Danny answered, bluntly.

"Great, so how do we do THAT?"

"Poison," Al suggested. "We could give it something poisoned!"

"And where are we supposed to get poison?" Silver sneered.

"Dragons can't handle snakes," Red Rose answered. "Their blood is lethal to them."

"Ironic that they come from the same section of the animal kingdom," Jimmy commented.

"I think there's a pet-store down the street," Silver replied. "I remember seeing one a few years back, last time I lived here."

"Lets go look, then," Red Rose said. "The rest of you, distract that dragon!"

"WHAT?" Rudy yelped, his voice taking a higher pitch.

"C'mon!" Red Rose and Silver took off down the street, leaving the others to handle their foes.

Radio and Bartholomew ran up to them. "Where's Silver and Elizabeth?" Radio asked.

"They ran to find snakes for the dragon." Jimmy replied, receiving confused looks. "We'll explain later. Right now, we've got to keep those guys busy! I'll take on Anthony," he then ran off.

"I'll take on the dragon," Al added, darkly. "Teach that scaly piece of shit to destroy MY stuff!"

"I'll go with Jimmy," Radio added.

"C'mon, Danny, we'll handle Anthony's lackeys," Bartholomew said, then turned to Rudy. "Rudy, go help Izzy's brothers… and try to keep out of danger!"

They split up to their positions. "HEY, FIRE BREATH! OVER HERE!" Al shouted, climbing onto a rooftop to the dragon's eyelevel. "YOU'RE GONNA WISH YOU NEVER BURNED MY RIDE!" Al then leaped at it-

*SMACK!*

The dragon merely swatted Al aside, as if he were nothing but an annoying fly.

Anthony approached Jimmy, his sword drawn. "Ready to fight like a man, wolf-boy?" he asked, smirking.

"I've been fighting like a man since I was fourteen," Jimmy retorted. "You should remember- it's the first time I kicked your ass."

"As I remember, I kicked YOUR ass,"

"I think your memory's going."

"We'll see who's right in the end…"

"ANTHONY!"

The werecat looked up, seeing that a giant raven was carrying away one of the Siamese. "What the hell?"

"This isn't right! CATS are supposed to hunt birds, not the other way around! AUGH!"

*SPLASH!*

Bartholomew dropped him in a nearby pond.

*BAM!*

While Anthony was distracted, Jimmy swung the first punch. Not waiting for a response, he tackled the werecat, swiping at his face, strangling him, pounding at his temples… yeah, pretty violent.

Rudy in the meantime dragged Izzy, Derek, and Drake's bodies into an alley, out of the way of the damage. There was a *thud* as Al landed next to him. "Al! Are you alright?" Rudy gasped.

"I've… been better," Al grunted.

"Stay here! I'm going to go help the others. Bartholomew just dropped one of Anthony's allies, so-"

"Don't trust him! He's the reason I fell unconscious in the first place!"

"W-What?"

"He- LOOK OUT!"

"AARRHH!"

Rudy didn't have time to turn around, for the dragon already grabbed him. "HELP!" he shrieked.

Radio was in the process of beating the other Siamese's face in when she heard her friend's cry for help. "RUDOLPH!" she screamed, watching as the dragon began to carry him off. The cat-creature reacted by throwing her into a wall.

Bartholomew swooped in then and pulled Rudy out of the dragon's clutches. "Thanks, Bartholomew," Rudy sighed in relief.

Though the raven only glared at him. "Don't thank me just yet," he retorted, then began to shoot off.

"Rudy!" Danny gasped, seeing the raven fly off with his friend. "Hang on! I'm coming-"

"Must you go?" a French voice scoffed, and suddenly Danny was grabbed by behind, a knife at his throat. "But the fun's just begun."

Anchantor appeared just then, dragging Derek, Drake, and Izzy's bodies along. "I've got these guys. Where's Anthony?" he asked.

Anthony kicked Jimmy off of him, then jabbed something into his neck. He fell numb then, and his body went limp. He then looked up at the two ghosts. "This one's down." he said, smirking. "He really is a fighter… but not a victorious one."

The dragon snorted, holding Radio and Al in its clutches.

"Come, lets take them to the castle,"

"What about Silver and the woman?" Anchantor asked.

Anthony smirked, looking at Jimmy. "Silver will come… if he wants to see Ashley Krook's son alive,"

With that, they climbed on the dragon's back and flew off.

A woman at the bar watched them, terrified. "Ashley?" she gasped, then ran off.

Silver and Red Rose then arrived, carrying a tank of snakes. "Oh, shit…" Silver gasped. "We're too late!"

"I TOLD you we should've taken a shortcut through that last alley!" Red Rose snapped.

"No time to argue. We need to help them,"

"Then lets go after them!"

Silver shook his head. "That's what Anthony would expect. We need a better approach,"

"What kind?"

Silver smirked, looking at his shoulders. "One I've been wanting to use for a long time… Though, we'll need a ride,"

"Need a ride, huh? I could help." a new voice said. They turned around, seeing a girl with pink hair, wearing a shirt with the picture of the ocean on it. "You mind traveling by water?"

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Problems have risen, yet they may be solved, right after this commercial break!

This fic brought to you by: Flame Me And You'll Get A Free Ticket To A World Of Pain.


	22. Rudy's Crowning Moment

Now to see what becomes of our heroes.

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Elizabeth:** Glad you think so. ...It's a subliminal message I'm spreading, warning humanity that cats are slowly trying to take over the world. ...Nothing can kill Izzy easily. ...Rofl everyone's getting their butts kicked, and you're worried about the carpet? ...And yes, you were right. Woo. ...Good guess, but no. ...Yes. ...We shall find out.

**Scoobycool9: **We'll find out soon ;) ...Yes. ...Keep trying you'll get it.

**Starspring: **That much is true. ...Not many heroes face easy tasks. ...And I knew you'd like that ^-^ ...As for your guesses, find out what fakia is and we've got ourselves a winner! :D

0o0o0o0o0

The people in town hesitantly walked out of their hiding places. They had never seen such a horrifying sight- a dragon, cat-creatures, and other beings in their town, most of them causing destruction! The only ones who had seen something just as horrifying were the elders, remembering that night they stormed up to a castle to rescue a girl from a beast…

The fire dept. hurried to the scene, putting out fires, especially a burned SUV. "Better check and see if anyone was inside," one of the men said, prying open a charred door.

Something shot out of the vehicle, taking to the skies, startling the firemen. "What the hell was THAT?" one of them gasped.

"I don't know, but it sure was sparkly," Another replied.

The carpet flew above the clouds, shaking any remaining soot off of itself. It wasn't exactly the first time it had caught fire, though it was thankful it could quickly fix itself from any kind of damage, especially being burned to ashes. It 'looked' around, searching for Aladdin, wondering where its rider had gone, and if he were alright, after being knocked unconscious.

"Oh, thank the Lord you made it!" Lilly exclaimed, appearing right next to the carpet. "I was afraid ya'll got burned like an over-cooked hotdog! Sorry I didn't try to rescue ya, but that darned dragon set fire to a building and a bunch of kids were trapped inside, and I had to help them you know- I was trapped inside a burning house myself, which is how I died, and I didn't want any of them to go through that."

The carpet swished around.

Lilly sighed. "I'm sorry. I was busy helping those kids that I wasn't able to help out the others. …Some guardian angel I turned out to be, huh? I went back up to Heaven to confess to the Lord that I failed, but He told me to go back, that everything was going as planned, and that the others still needed me. Now c'mon, Ruggy, lets go find 'em!"

The carpet raised one of its tassels, holding it like a finger, feeling the wind, then pointed westward.

"That way? Alrighty, if you say so!"

With that, they flew off.

Two birds happened to be flying by. "Um… did you just see a girl with wings talking to a flying carpet?" one bird asked.

"I didn't see anything. Lets hit the birdbath," The other said in denial, and they took off.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Rudy had blacked out during the flight, but when he came to, he was chained to a wall. At first he wondered if the whole thing was just a dream, that he had imagined that he was reunited with his friends only to be attacked by a dragon, waking to see that he was still in Anthony's dungeon. But his theory died when he saw Bartholomew standing in the doorway, watching him. "Oh, good. You're awake," the prince said, smirking an evil smirk. "I figured you finally died from shock. It wouldn't surprise me. You never took bad news so well."

"I can't believe you!" Rudy snapped. "How could you change sides? Why did you join Anthony?"

"Oh, I joined him long ago, darling. When we were first captured three years ago, he had stolen your laptop, and when I managed to escape I decided to take a peek at it. And guess what I found?" his expression turned dark. "A bunch of e-mails from your friends, Danny, Jimmy, and Radio! I was hurt that you never told me about them… let alone how you broke my little sister's heart, and how you fell in love with Danny. I read your old e-mails to him, feeling hurt about how you poured out your heart, telling him how much he meant to you, how you always felt secure in his arms, how you never wanted to be apart from him!"

Rudy stared in shock. "You read my e-mails?"

"I became jealous, Rudolph. You cared more about that prince than you ever cared about me. You never let me hold you at night like he did, you never shot a man for me… why, you never even kissed me on the lips!"

"You never did anything to deserve any of that-"

"And if THAT wasn't enough, hurting my poor little sister! The one who always stuck by your side, and even stood up for you when that asshole Jimmy made fun of you! You shot her down like a duck, all because you couldn't stop thinking about Danny, and drove her into the arms of that rebellious douche!"

"Hey, I just wanted to be friends! I didn't tell her to have a crush on me! It's not MY fault so many people find me attractive! And what's all this got to do with you being a traitor?"

Bartholomew sneered. "After learning about the bonds you hid from me, I had a feeling you were still close to them… close to Danny. Anthony caught me and threatened to kill me, until I worked out a deal with him: I'd help him receive information, and he'd help me make sure you never saw Danny again." he approached Rudy, his eyes reddening with anger. "I've said it before, Rudolph Alexander Homes, and I'll say it again. You're mine, and no one's going to change that."

Rudy scowled. "You don't own me, Bartholomew. I don't love you anymore, and I never will again. You don't know how to show love, so you don't deserve it. You can hurt me, maim me, insult me, maybe even kill me, but you'll never win my heart. …And did I mention I shared my first kiss with Danny? He's a better kisser than you, too. And better looking."

Bartholomew was seething with anger, and punched Rudy in the face. "He may have gotten your first kiss…" he grinned evilly then. "But he won't have your virginity…"

"Nope. He got that too."

"What?"

"Yeah. It was during the summer when we first fell in love. We went camping, were sharing a tent, Radio and Jimmy weren't around… It was good. So good, he made me speak French- and I don't even KNOW French!" Rudy smirked. "You see, unlike you, I found Danny to be my special someone, and I wanted to share everything I had with him, knowing that I'd never find another perfect man. He beat you to my heart, Bartholomew, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Bartholomew sneered. "You're lying."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because, when I first tried to get you in bed with me, you told me you were saving your virginity for marriage! …And I didn't read anything about you and Danny being married. Nice try." He reached forward. "Now, lets see if I can get YOU to speak French…"

"Oh, for ze love of God!" Jacque snapped, stepping in. "If you are going to sexually harass him, leave my nationality out of it!"

"DAMN IT CUSTOE! You ruined the mood!"

"Good! I've stopped you from turning this dungeon into a setting for a porno!"

"Grrr… What are you doing down here, anyway? I thought you were antagonizing Danny!"

"I was… until I remembered that THIS lad was the one who shot me," Jacque walked toward Rudy, glowering. "I plan on making every moment of his life a living hell, and if I kill him, I'll keep torturing his spirit for eons to come!"

"Well, get in line!" Came another voice, and Anchantor appeared. "I've got a bone to pick with him, too! He impersonated a girl I loved and tricked me into almost doing it with him!"

"Hey, YOU mistook ME for a girl, and I didn't ASK you to try to rape me!" Rudy snapped. "It was your own damn fault!"

"Aren't you supposed to be harassing Radio? You DID curse her a long time ago," Jacque questioned.

"Nah, I'm waiting for Silver to get here. HE'S the one I'm really after… him, and this girl named Blu, but I've already cursed her, anyone who shows love toward her will die… but just to make sure my curse wasn't broken-"

"Hey, would you two scram? I'd like to screw Rudy now." Bartholomew snapped.

"I want to torture him!" Jacque snapped.

"Me too!" Anchantor whined.

"You guys have other enemies to torture! You can have Rudy when I'm done!" Bartholomew scolded.

The two ghosts grumbled but faded, leaving Bartholomew alone with Rudy.

"Oh, that's right! I think Anchantor took my virginity first! Yes, I nearly forgot!" Rudy stammered, trying to trick Bartholomew.

"YOU WISH!" Anchantor snapped from outside the door.

Bartholomew smirked. "Nice try, Rud-kins. Now then… lets start where we left off, BEFORE you made the mistake of dumping me…"

In response, Rudy kicked him in the face. "Try it, bird-brain."

The raven-prince scowled. This was going to be tougher than he thought.

0o0o0o0o0o0

*BAM! WHAM! SLAM!*

Jimmy's head was swirling, a migraine setting in. He remembered seeing Silver chained to a wall when they were first captured by Anthony (after he got into a brawl with the werecat, being thrown in with the werewolf in a bloodied and bruised state), and watched- as he slipped in and out of consciousness- the werewolf slammed his head on the wall, breaking it so he could free himself, since he couldn't get free of the silver shackles that bound him.

He tried doing the same trick, but didn't even crack the wall. _I guess I'd have to be full-werewolf to break it down. _he thought. _Fangface II just HAD to bite me…_

He looked over, hearing groaning, and saw that Danny was chained to the wall across from him. "Not enough that they captured us, but they also had to make us cell-mates," Jimmy scoffed.

"Just when I thought I died and gone to heaven, I find out that I must have been sent to the other place, considering YOU'RE here," Danny retorted.

Jimmy rolled his eyes. "Oh, GREAT comeback, Princess."

"Before you make any more smart remarks, how about we find out how to get out of here, hmm?"

"I was working on it until your groaning cut off my train of thought."

"I hardly doubt that, considering your train of thought is still boarding at the station."

"Are you two ladies going to keep bickering, or do you want out?" Al's voice came, and they looked over… seeing that he was free!

"Al? How come you weren't put in chains?" Jimmy asked.

"I was, but apparently you've forgotten I'm a street-rat," Al held up a pick-lock, smirking. "I thought I taught you everything, Jim,"

If Jimmy could, he would have slapped his forehead. "Right." Pressing his feet against the wall and pushing his back upward, he made his wrists slide as far up into the shackles as possible, far enough for him to reach his claws over and pick the lock, freeing himself. "Got it!"

"What about you, Danny? Think you can pick your locks?"

"I'm afraid I don't have anything I could use." Danny sighed.

"And once again, the princess is in distress," Jimmy joked, walking over.

"Jimmy, WAIT!" Al tried to warn.

The floor behind Jimmy gave out, and the floor underneath him was beginning to crumble! "Oh, shit!" he began running toward Danny, watching as the floor kept falling. Al was forced to grab onto one of the shackles for support when the floor gave way beneath him. The floor was falling quick, and with one mighty leap Jimmy grabbed on to the nearest thing he could get his hands on, to keep from falling down into a thousand-foot drop.

…That something, unfortunately, happened to be Danny's shoulders. "And the big bad wolf was then rescued by a prince," Danny joked.

"Shut up!"

"Anthony rigged all his cells to set off a certain trap if anyone tried to escape," Al said. "I found out when I tried to take a step after breaking free of my shackles, when a brick I stepped on dropped through."

"Thanks for informing us of that NOW."

"So, now what?" Danny asked. "We need to get out, and you're getting really heavy… and this position isn't exactly comfortable."

"I'm thinking, I'm thinking. …and hoping no one sees us like this…"

The door swung open just then, and Drake and Derek stood there. "You guys need…" they began, then arched an eyebrow at Jimmy and Danny. "…help?"

Jimmy sighed. "Don't say a word. Just help us out."

"Okay, but first…" Derek said, and they took out their cell-phones and snapped a picture.

"Wonderful." Danny deadpanned. "Now help us out."

0o0o0o0o0o0

A tiger-like cat-creature walked down the corridor, pausing at a door when he heard meowing. He looked inside the cell, finding two cats were sitting there. "Damn strays always wander inside here," he muttered, then opened the door. "Alright you mangy felines, get outta here."

"Mangy? You ain't exactly a cute kitten yourself, bub." The black-brown cat sneered, then sprouted wings and flew up, pecking him on the lips.

"Yech! What the-"

*WHAM!*

Izzy knocked out the guard, then picked Radio up and gave her a smooch. "Ugh, I really wish there were some other method in getting us to transform," she muttered, wiping her lips.

"Don't act like you don't enjoy it," Izzy teased. "Now, lets go find the boys. You search that way, I'll search this way,"

They split up, running down different corridors.

Izzy's first stop came when she saw her brothers. "How did YOU guys get out?" she asked.

Drake scoffed. "Sis, we've been locked up here before. We know ALL the ropes," he replied.

"Though gluing us upside-down above an alligator pit was quite a stretch," Derek added, shrugging.

"And right now, we need help getting out of here!" Al called.

"Alright, hold on!" Izzy gasped, looking in. She then took out a cell-phone and snapped a picture of Danny and Jimmy. "Oh, the warden is gonna love THIS picture,"

"Enough with the pictures! Get us out of here already!" Jimmy snapped.

"Please, before my torso is ripped from my arms!" Danny added.

Izzy sprouted her wings, then flew in, retrieving each of the boys, breaking Danny's shackles as she did so. "Three down, one to go," she said, and they took off down the corridor.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Bartholomew screamed, holding his mouth. "Ou erk! Ou it ay ung!" he snapped.

Rudy spit. "It'll teach you not to French-kiss me, you pervert!"

The raven-prince scowled. "Well, you may not let me kiss you…" he reached into his pants. "But I'm still going to-EEEEOOOWW!"

Rudy had just kicked him where the sun don't shine. "Might as well give up, feather-brain. No matter what you try, I'm not giving in!"

Bartholomew glared darkly, and then changed into his giant-raven form. "If I can't have you, then no one shall!" he lunged at him.

_~We go to movies on our dates~_

There was a roar, and suddenly Radio broke down the door and attacked Bartholomew, clawing at his eyes, biting his head, and shredding his privates with her back claws. "Don't you EVER-" she began, punching her brother in the face. "Hurt my FRIEND-" she kicked him in the groin. "AGAIN!" With an uppercut, he went down. She then raced toward Rudy, picking his locks with a bobby pin and freeing him. "Are you alri-"

_~Romantic comedies sure are great~_

She didn't have time to finish because he enveloped her in a hug. "Thank you," he whispered, and she felt him shedding a tear as it slid down his face, touching her own. "If you didn't come, I would've been dead right now."

_~But when you're sad I'll dry your tears~_

She smiled, hugging him back. "I'm sure you could have handled him, Rudolph," she said. "You've been brave toward him already… braver than I've seen anyone be before."

_~Cause I'll always think that you are fierce~_

He sniffled, then pulled out of the hug. "C'mon, lets go find the others," he said, and they left Bartholomew locked in the cell.

0o0o0o0o0o0

They met up with the others in the main corridor, running toward the exit. "Where are all the guards?" Jimmy asked. "You'd think there would be a million swarming the place."

"We took care of them," Drake said, snickering.

"We threw some cat-nip at them. It oughtta keep 'em distracted for a few more minutes," Derek added, chuckling.

"I shudder to wonder why you carry cat-nip on you in the first place," Izzy commented.

"After being surrounded by cat-people, we figured it would be best to stock up,"

They ran outside, encountering a detail they forgot.

The dragon.

It breathed smoke at them, snarling.

_~I like cigarettes, and that's no gag~_

"Forgot about this reptile," Jimmy deadpanned.

The dragon stepped forward, and they stepped back. "Before we die, let me show you this picture," Izzy said, showing Radio the picture of Jimmy and Danny.

_~But you'll always be my favorite fag~_

"Are you… hugging him?" Rudy asked Jimmy, seeing the picture and trying to stifle a laugh.

_~You'll always be my favorite fag~_

"ENOUGH WITH THE PICTURE!" Jimmy snapped. The dragon roared in response.

_~You'll always be my favorite faaaaaaaaag~_

"Dude, calm down, or that thing's gonna barbecue us!" Al snapped.

"It's going to, anyway!" Izzy snapped.

The dragon leaned in, snarling, glowering at them. "E-Easy, Dragon, calm down," Rudy stammered. "Don't hurt us, we're the good guys!" he looked at the medallion around its neck. _Anthony was holding a medallion like that! I wonder… _he thought. "Guys, distract him, try to keep him calm."

"What?" Jimmy questioned.

"Just do it! I have an idea,"

"Huh, boy…" Izzy said.

"Um, over here, Dragon!" Radio called, having the dragon look at her. "Uh, um… my, what big eyes you have!"

Jimmy slapped his forehead.

"And, uh, your skin is so… shiny! Like crystals!" Danny added. "No wonder they call you the Gem Dragon, because you are just glittering with valuable beauty!"

The dragon cocked its head, listening. It didn't notice Rudy walking beneath its neck, taking out a pocket knife and sawing off the medallion. He then rushed back to the others.

"And, um… your eyes are so radiant!" Radio was saying.

"Yeah, and your fangs- why, I could see my reflection in them!" Danny added.

The dragon smirked, appreciating their compliments. It noticed Rudy just then, turning toward him. "Uh, I got this medallion off for you…" Rudy said, holding up the medallion, then tossing it aside. "I figured Anthony was using it to control you, so… you're free."

The dragon stared at him.

Then licked him.

"Uh… you're welcome," Rudy said, straining a smirk, wiping the dragon-drool off of him.

The dragon then spread its wings and shot off into the sky.

*Click-click-click*

Everyone turned around, seeing Anthony, several cat-creatures, and the ghosts standing behind them. "Bravo, you got rid of the dragon," Anthony said, darkly. "But you're not going to persuade me out of killing y-"

*SPLASH!*

A wave of water hit him just then. Standing by a nearby creek were Silver, Red Rose, and Starspring. "Weren't planning on starting the party without us, were you?" Silver asked.

Jacque and Anchantor glared. "Don't just stand there! Kill them!" Jacque ordered.

And the fight was on.

0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Next chapter… BATTLE SCENE!

Please review. No flames or you shall get a weasel stuffed into your bed sheets.


	23. Brutal Ballet, Werewolf Revision & Death

Here's the next chapter! Enjoy it! …or else. -.-

{You're gonna go far kid}

*Just A Dream*

~Gay Boyfriend~

Anime-aliases answers will be given at the end of the story.

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Scoobycool9: **Her name's Lilly, and she and the carpet will arrive momentarily. …Good idea! XD …They'll be brought down like a plane preparing to land. …Yeah, but he'll get his moment soon.

**Starspring: **Congratulations! Now you may suggest the pairings while I write up battle-scenes. …Aladdin without his carpet would be like a hamster without fur- weird. …Yeah, I really need to lighten up on him, rofl. …Meh, I got bored with all the 'capturing' and wanted to get the action started. …I got the dragon idea from watching Shrek XD

0o0o0o0o0o0

_{With a thousand lies and a good disguise}_

Starspring pulled herself onto the shore, her fin changing into a pair of legs, as she sent another wave of water splashing at the approaching were-cats. "I was wondering when I'd see you again," Radio said to her.

"Less talk, more fight," Izzy said, punching a were-cat in the face.

_{Hit 'em right between the eyes}_

_{Hit 'em right between the eyes}_

Anthony then took out his sword. "This ends now!" he snarled, running toward Silver.

"Using the cliché lines, eh?" Silver commented, leaning to the side and sticking out his arm, making Anthony run into it face-first and hit the ground. "AND letting anger cloud your mind. …And I thought Jimmy needed fighting lessons."

Anchantor and Jacque were the ones that were hard to defeat… since they were already dead. "Face it, you fools, you can't harm us!" Jacque sneered, appearing before Danny and Rudy. "Now, I shall get my revenge!"

"I don't think so!" Elizabeth snarled, hitting Jacque on the head with a rock while he was in solid-form. "That's for killing my sister, you bastard!"

Anchantor backed away a bit…

_{When you walk away nothing more to say}_

He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around, seeing a very pissed off Jimmy…

_{See the lightening in your eyes}_

Who punched him in the face. "That's for cursing Silver, Radio, AND Blu!" he snarled.

_{See 'em running for their lives}_

Anchantor shook his head, then became intangible, grabbing Jimmy by the throat. "You're going to regret that!" he snapped, strangling him.

"HANDS OFF!" Radio shouted, stepping in and pulling Jimmy away. "You caused me to lose my family, but you won't make me lose my boyfriend!"

Anchantor scoffed, then stabbed Radio in the heart three-four-five times, each time she revived. "You're making this hard, Nadine. I believe I'll take your ninth life now, and allow you to reunite with your family," he said, preparing to bring the knife down again.

*WHAP!*

Izzy kicked him in the head just then. "Leave her alone, jackass!" she snapped.

Anchantor rubbed his head. "How did you…?" he gasped, knowing he wasn't in solid-form.

"I'm part-vampire. Since vampires happen to be undead, they're the only supernatural beings who can fight ghosts… and buddy, I'm about to send you into a world of hurt!" With that, she lunged.

Anthony was in a brawl with Silver, the man had managed to grab his sword and throw it in the river, resulting in getting tackled by the werecat. Yet the man was stronger than he looked, and Anthony was having trouble keeping him pinned. "You might as well give it a rest, Anthony." Silver said, punching Anthony in the jaw. "I'm stronger than I look… and I got stronger thanks to your little attack,"

"How? Werecats can't cause others to turn into them, unless they bite 'em nine times!" Anthony sneered.

"Who says I'm a werecat?" Silver flexed just then, his muscles bulging, his shirt ripping, his eyes changing yellow as black fur sprouted… and he grew a tail. "Thanks to my son, I happen to be a werewolf again,"

Before Anthony could question, Silver lunged, pinning him to the ground. Before the werewolf could to more, he heard a scream, looking over… seeing Jacque pulling Elizabeth by the hair and into the air! "Put her down!" Danny was shouting.

Silver, having been distracted, got punched in the throat by Anthony, who held a knife to his throat. "One move, and your blood will be all over the ground," he hissed.

Starspring was then tackled by a werecat, being dragged away from the river and knocked out; Anchantor turned invisible and caught Izzy off-guard, possessing her and forcing her to fight her own brothers. "Izzy! Calm down! We're on your side!" they both shouted; Al and Jimmy tried to fight their way through, but the street-rat rebels were lassoed with whips and pulled off their feet; Elizabeth and Danny were now hovering in the air, carried by Jacque; and Radio was still wounded, her fresh injury taking a slower time to heal; Only Rudy was left standing, as the werecats closed in.

"Well, boys, looks like you're out of moves," Anchantor teased, speaking through Izzy. He faced Rudy then. "What are you gonna to now, faggot?"

Rudy scowled, then began… to dance.

_{Now DANCE, fucker, DANCE}_

He leaped and kicked a werecat in the face, landing on his left foot and twirling, hitting two others in the guts, and leaped gracefully over three others when they lunged at him, making their heads collide. With every ballet move, he kicked, punched, dodged, and slammed his way through the cat creatures.

_{And they never really knew, it was really only you}_

Rudy then grabbed Izzy's hand, tossing her up into the air and leaping, striking her in the chest- literately beating Anchantor out of her- then landed and caught her, setting her aside.

_{Now DANCE, fucker, DANCE}_

He then leaped into the air, arching backward and grabbing Danny and Elizabeth, yanking them out of Jacque's grasp… his foot swinging upward and striking the ghost in the face as he did… and they landed on the ground.

_{Man I never had a chance}_

"Care to dance?" he asked Danny.

"Lets," the prince replied.

_{It was really only you}_

They made their way toward Jimmy, ballet-brawling past any remaining guards, freeing the street-rat rebels. Jimmy lunged at Anthony, punching him in the face. "So, I turned you into a werewolf, huh?" he asked Silver.

"Two scratches from a wolfid will do that," Silver said with a shrug.

_{With a thousand lies and a good disguise}_

"Nice try, boys… but you still have no chance!" Anchantor sneered, and this time he and Jacque had possessed Radio and Starspring. "Now it's time to-"

"HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO BEAT YOU OUTTA SOMEONE'S BODY, YA DUMBASSES?"

_{Hit 'em right between the eyes}_

Lilly appeared just then, and stuck her hands into Radio and Starspring's chests, yanking the ghosts out and bashing their heads together. The carpet then flew under Al's feet, and the street rat picked up a few cat-creatures and threw them into the river, where Starspring washed them downstream. "Glad to have you back, Carpet," Al said, patting the rug.

_{Hit 'em right between the eyes}_

Most of the were-cats decided to fall back by this time. "Get back here, you cowards!" Anthony snapped. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned around… seeing Rudy.

"This is for locking me up for three years," he said darkly, and punched the werecat so hard in the face, his nose began to bleed.

_{When you walk away nothing more to say}_

"This is for hurting my friend," Danny stepped in, punching the cat-creature and giving him a black-eye.

_{See the lightening in your eyes, see 'em running for their lives}_

Jimmy grabbed him by the throat. "And this… is for holding a grudge for way too long, man," he said, and then punched the were-cat, knocking his teeth out.

"I don't see why you're after US, anyway," Radio muttered. "Wasn't it Jacque who hired you to capture us in the first place, years ago?"

"Yeah, you should be kicking HIS ass!" Silver agreed.

"It's not about who's fault it is…" Anthony grunted, scowling. "It's about getting after the ones who escaped, who dragged my name through the mud, who-"

*BAM!*

Radio had punched his lights out, making him fall into the river. "I so do hate it when they extend their reasons," she sighed.

_{Clever alibis, lord of the flies}_

Something dark swooped down just then, and there stood Bartholomew, in his full-fledged crow form… looking larger and angrier than ever. He let out a sound that was a cross between a caw and a screech, and sliced at Danny. "_You will never have him! You shall have no one!" _he said in a demonic voice, addressing Rudy, then gripped the prince by the throat. "_Say goodbye to your precious prince!"_

"HANDS OFF THE PRINCE, BIRDBRAIN!" A wave of water struck the crow, and Starspring stood by him. "Geez, whatever happened to the princesses needing rescued?"

"Danny, are you okay?" Rudy asked, kneeling by him, holding his hand…

Bartholomew screeched again and lunged, talons sticking out toward their faces.

_{Hit 'em right between the eyes}_

Radio gasped, leaping in front of them. "DON'T YOU DARE-!" she screamed…

_{Hit 'em right between the eyes}_

Bartholomew's claws raked against her chest, cutting deep. His sister gasped, her eyes widening, and she hit the ground, blood surrounding her…

_{When you walk away nothing more to say}_

That's when Jimmy lunged, snarling and baring his fangs, attacking the crow and tearing him apart. The feathers were flying, roaring and squawking mixed together, and the crow shot off into the sky. "I'll be back!" Bartholomew shouted. "Mark my words, I shall get you bastards back for causing my grief-"

_{See the lightening in your eyes}_

*CHOMP!*

A familiar dragon flew by just then, eating the crow, then turned and flew off into the horizon. "Thank you!" Rudy called to it.

_{See 'em running for their lives}_

"Uh, guys…? You'd better get over here," Elizabeth said, kneeling beside Radio, who still wasn't moving. "I don't think she's gonna make it."

"Radio!" Jimmy, Rudy, and Danny all gasped, running to their friend.

"Radio, please, speak to me!" Rudy stammered, stroking her head.

"R-Rudolph…?" Radio said, wearily, looking up at him.

_~My gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend~_

"I'm here…" Rudy answered.

"I've always liked you…" Radio said, a small smile appearing on her lips. "I've liked you since the first day we've met."

_~I don't really care that you are queer~_

_Does she really have to say this in front of me? _Jimmy thought, sighing.

"I thought I'd never stop loving you… until I met someone else," Radio confessed, which caught the rebel's attention. "I thought I loved you out of romance, but now I realize I've just loved you because you're my best friend, and I never want to hurt you, or see you hurt ever again," she then looked at Danny. "Daniel, I know that we are betrothed, and I even thought about marrying you to break the curse and help Rudy… but if I did that, I'd only cause hurt to the one I truly love."

Danny managed a smile. "I don't think it would work out either," he said, giving Rudy a glance. "Especially since there's still some things I need to make clear, too."

_~Gay boyfriend, gay boyfriend~_

Rudy smiled at him, then looked at Jimmy. "Well?" he asked.

"Well… what?" Jimmy questioned.

"Don't act smarmy, kid. We all know Radio loves you," Silver scoffed, nudging him.

_~I never feel lonely when you are near~_

He looked down at Radio. "Radio… do you really love me?" he asked. "I mean… we've grown apart, and when you said you'd marry Danny, I wasn't sure if…"

"You can be sure now, Jimmy." Radio said, staring into his eyes, holding his hand. "If there were anyone I'd choose to share the rest of my life with, it's you…"

Jimmy smiled. "Yeah… Marrying you would be the greatest thing that I could ever do,"

"Then, why don't ya?" Lilly scoffed. "It ain't too late!"

"I could be the official," Elizabeth stated, honorably. "I have the authority to do so,"

"Then… will you marry us?" Radio asked.

"If you wish to be,"

Jimmy and Radio looked at each other. "We do," the rebel said.

"Then, in the power invested in me by the monarchy of Britalvia, I hereby announce you man and… er, wolf-man and cat-wife. You may now embrace,"

Jimmy leaned forward as Radio lifted her head, both of them sharing in a kiss… yet it didn't last, for suddenly Radio fell limp, her breathing ceased. "Radio?"

"Radio!" Rudy gasped, shaking her. "Oh, no…"

_*If you've ever loved anybody put your hands up*_

"No, it can't happen… not now!" Jimmy cried, picking up Radio.

_*If you've ever loved anybody put your hands up*_

_*And now they're gone and you wish you could give them everything*_

_*(everything)*_

"Is she…?" Lilly gasped.

"No… she can't! She has nine lives!" Danny stammered.

Izzy shook her head. "Anchantor stabbed her five times, taking most of her lives… and Bartholomew issued a blow that took the last one," she said sadly.

"Ha ha!" Anchantor teased… and Lilly bonked his and Jacque's heads together again.

_*If you've ever loved anybody put your hands up*_

_*If you've ever loved anybody put your hands up*_

Jimmy did something he hadn't done in years then, as he held Radio's body close to him, bowing his head.

_*And now they're gone and you wish you could give them everything…*_

He cried.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Well… so much for the JimmyxRadio pairing. Their foes are vanquished… but there are still some issues that need to be settled.

Please review. No flames, or ballet-dancers will knock the crap out of you. …Considering how Rudy just proved how tough they can be, I'd be afraid if I were you.


	24. Meanwhile With Some Others

Well, here's a new update before the Christmas season sets in. Enjoy!

**Reviewer Thanks and Christmas Cookies**

**Starspring: **I decided to take something people find sissified and turn it manly, and Rudy really needed a time to shine ^-^ …And are those pairings your final answer? The story isn't over just yet!

**Scoobycool9: **Fight-dancing, it reminds me of that movie "West Side Story" for some reason. …Yeah, don't ask me why, but in almost every "Three Boys" story, Silver's a werewolf, one of the many running-gags I throw in. And SilverxElizabeth was inevitable, so there was no need to vote for it ^-^ …Barth-vader isn't gone 'til the dragon digests him (which I agree would be a bad idea- probably would cause one heck of a stomach ache). …I once thought about JimmyxIzzy, but considering how they're both rebels and tend to annoy some people, it would probably cause a universal disaster to put them together. O.O

0o0o0o0o0o0

_Meanwhile…_

Robin hardly ever left Fairytale Land for so long, no more than two weeks a year. He always traveled to Lobonia to visit the grave of Ashley Krook, to pay his respects… it was the least he could do for abandoning her so long ago when she became pregnant with his son, Jimmy. The day he first met the rebel, he nearly had a heart-attack- the resemblance he had to Ashley was remarkable, yet he had his father's talent for robbing and causing mischief.

He could tell Jimmy was his son just by looking at the newspaper articles about him and Al. Being the chief of police in the land, he felt his son's constant troublemaking seemed harmful to his position… but considering how the lad only stole from wanted criminals and returned the valuables they stole, Robin wasn't too upset. …He did similar things back in his day too, after all.

As the former-thief walked along, he adjusted his jacket. One thing he hated about going out into the normal world was having to discard his cape, hat, boots, and sword-sheath to blend in, wearing jeans, a sweater, jacket, and sneakers. …Though he kept a dagger hidden in his coat, and managed to hide a crossbow somewhere as well- being the master of thieves, he could hide anything anywhere (though it would be safe not to ask where).

Robin finally reached the cemetery, but stopped short, seeing two women standing by Ashley's grave, and he ducked behind a statue to keep hidden. He recognized them as Amy and Sophie, Ashley's two sisters. "I'm telling you, I swear I saw him!" Amy was saying. "He and another man had crashed into the bar, and he called the man Silver!"

"There are many men with the name 'Silver', Amy," Sophie replied. "It could've been a coincidence,"

"Do many young men also have wolf-ears and a tail?" Robin caught a hint of victory in Amy's expression, as Sophie's eyes widened. "Don't you remember how we found out Ashley was pregnant weeks after she was free of that beast?"

"You mean…?"

"And how that monster had been taken away rather than killed instantly? And then her husband, Rupert Kahn, was found dead and her son had disappeared? It all makes sense! That monster had hunted down Rupert after Ashley passed away, and took her son!"

Sophie shook her head. "No, no that can't be true. Rupert was killed by gangsters, and they sent the child to an orphanage! Remember, we were called to inherit him?"

"But he wasn't there, was he? I bet Silver had escaped from whoever had him and had been waiting to take the boy, his 'son', and had been bringing him up all these years!"

"Alright, so why would he be human now, hmm? Ashley had said he was under a curse, remember?"

"I read a legend about how werewolves can change into humans… Look, all I'm saying is, I saw Ashley's son, and Silver is-"

"Not his father," Robin said, stepping out after hearing enough.

The women gasped. "Who are you?" Sophie demanded.

"I'm Robin… Ashley's old boyfriend,"

"The one who left…" Amy realized, then smacked Robin across the face. "YOU BASTARD! Our sister was miserable for weeks after you left! You broke her heart, and now- after all these years- you get the nerve to come to her grave?"

_Geez, now I know which side of the family Jimmy gets it from! _Robin thought, rubbing his face.

"Calm down, Amelia!" Sophie snapped, then turned to Robin. "Why HAVE you come back, and why did you leave our sister so long ago?"

"The reason I left her was… because I had gotten her pregnant. I was so nervous about being a father, and got cold feet- please don't smack me again, I got enough from Silver and Jimmy," Robin answered, flinching when Amy raised her hand.

"Wait, you've met Silver? AND Jimmy?"

Robin nodded. "Yes, when Jimmy was eighteen." he explained how Jimmy had grown up on the streets after Ashley died and Rupert abandoned him, and how the teen had met Silver and broke the werewolf's curse. "It really unnerved me to find out how some stranger managed to do what I never did- take care of my son. They forgave me in time, but it's been so long since I've seen either of them,"

"I saw them in town… though, it might shock you to know that your son has wolf-ears," Amy said.

"Not really. From where I come from, we call those kinds of creatures 'wolfids'. You see, Jimmy was bitten by- another- werewolf, then bit by someone who was half-werewolf. The only way he could be changed back is by a wolfian- and luckily I know one."

The two women only stared. "Um… where exactly are you from?" Sophie questioned.

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me,"

"From what I saw today, I'd believe anything." Amy retorted. "Now, tell us everything!"

"I will, if you do me a favor first. …Can you take me to my son?"

0o0o0o0o0o0

Rothberta paced the floor, fuming. "Of all the irresponsible tasks, this one is the worse!" she was complaining to the cook and a maid. "As if inviting those hooligans inside, throwing a cat-thing in the dungeon, and having some drag-queen spend the night wasn't enough, now they've gone off on some crazy man-hunt to the slums!"

The cook and maid looked at each other, then back at the chambermaid.

"And Daniel is to be king in a month, and still has much to learn! From all that's gone on, he's shaping to be quite a petty king, I don't see how he could be his father's son. I knew his father, right before I was called away to my mother's during that tragic night of his death, and I knew for a fact that he was going to be a wonderful ruler. But his son! From all that I've heard about his relationship with those boys, things may go downhill!"

The cook and maid rolled their eyes, sighing and tired of Rothberta's griping.

"And Jimmy! Ugh, I have doubts that he and Daniel could be cousins. And that Rudy boy is questionable as well, being homosexual and all- God forbid Daniel got any influence from either of them. Radio is the only one who shows any decency, which is a good thing since she and Daniel are to be wed, but she just doesn't seem quite like a princess like she says..."

The cook put his face in his palm and the maid shook her head.

"Elizabeth and Silver are another subject. I don't see how either of them could have royal blood. I think Elizabeth just said she was Daniel's aunt just so she could live in the kingdom, and that tale she said about being Mayor of another town and taking off two weekens a month to go down there is highly unorthodox- I think she just runs off to spend the fortune at some party and whatnot. And Silver is quite a beast, highly unsuitable to have any positions in monarchy- wouldn't even hire him as a stable-boy, I say!"

The cook and maid groaned.

"If I weren't around, who knows what this place would be like?"

"Quieter," the maid commented.

"What was that?"

"Er, nothing!"

"Good. ...Where was I? Oh, yes. Back when Snow White first came to the castle, I knew something was bound to go wrong. I remember one time-"

The cook and maid put in some ear-plugs, draining out the rest of Rothberta's endless complaint.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Mrs. Homes sat in the kitchen, holding her cup of coffee, lost in thought. Her husband walked in, noticing how she was awake so late at night. "You really ought to get some rest," he said, sighing.

"How can I sleep? Ever since Silver's visit, my mind has been racing," she answered, gripping her cup. "Our son is just a few miles away, and yet he hasn't come home, hasn't called…"

"Well, what did you expect? Didn't you see that boy he was with?" Mr. Homes grabbed his suit-coat, pulling it on. "Ever since graduation, he's been different. He started losing weight because he had stopped eating after Danny, Jimmy, and Radio left. And that's when he started hanging out with Bartholomew, and he started acting more… odd. He started to eat dietary foods, wouldn't cut his hair, and started dressing like a woman!"

"I still think it was because he was going through a hard time," Mrs. Homes said firmly. "Though I agree with your view on Bartholomew. I'm glad that Rudy found a new companion after Danny broke up with him, yet there was just something strange about him."

"'Just something'? There were listless things wrong with him! The way he glared when someone upset him, how he always collected only shiny things… and he hardly touched the food we'd give him, he ate like a bird! And don't get me started on the tone he used when he was angry. He even scared the twins!"

"I was referring to how he treated Rudy. It just didn't seem right… He never let him finish any sentences when we asked him a question, and every time they held hands Rudy would bite his lip, and he always seemed so nervous around him… And that night when he last called us, after your fight, I heard Bartholomew in the background, right before Rudy hung up." She looked at her husband. "I think Rudy was in an abusive relationship."

"Well, I hope he was man-enough to end it."

She gave her husband a dark glance. "Considering he's with his friends now, I suppose he has. …How long are you going to be like this?"

"Like what?"

"You know what! Ever since Rudy first came out of the closet, you've been distant from him, and every time you both were in the same room you always seemed uncomfortable! I know you want him to change, but he's not going to! It's his choice, who he wants to be! You must learn to accept that!"

"I've tried! I have! It's just… it's because of what others thought of him, how he would always come home from school crying and would lock himself in his room, and never hung out with anyone until he met Danny and Jimmy, and then there were the twins abusing him… I was uncomfortable because I kept thinking who else might hurt him. I was growing distant because I had no idea how to interact with him- I couldn't bake, didn't read many books, or watch many romantic movies, and he didn't like sports, never wanted to hunt, and I couldn't take him fishing because he never learned to swim until after he was eighteen!" he sighed, shaking his head. "When I would try to spend time with him, he would always give me this surprised look, like I was some sort of stranger… I didn't know what to do. Now, after that fight, he's gone and it's too late to make things right,"

Mrs. Homes put a hand on his shoulder. "It's never too late. We'll see him again, don't worry."

He nodded. "Right… I just hope he's not too out of shape… and God forbid Bartholomew comes with him,"

"Honey, if Rudy couldn't handle Chris and Chrys' abuse, he wouldn't settle for Bartholomew's treatment. I think we've seen the last of him,"

0o0o0o0o0o0

The dragon landed by it's cave, groaning. It swayed a bit, before hitting the ground, its body motionless. A lump in its throat moved slowly upward toward the mouth, and Bartholomew lifted the upper muzzle, covered in saliva and blood. "Ugh, the last heart I crushed never burst like a balloon," he sneered, wiping himself off. "And speaking of 'crushed hearts', I believe it's time I settled some unfinished business once and for- ooh, something shiny!"

He ran to the back of the cave, where a large oval, blue-crystal gem with red rubies covering it sat on a pile of rocks, unguarded. Bartholomew grabbed it and stuck it in his coat-pocket.

"This shall go great with my collection… now what was I doing? …Oh, yes. Revenge!"

Changing into a crow, he flew off, in search for those three men…

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: In almost every 'Three Boys' story, we always get a view of some other characters, whether they're antagonists or just additional characters. …And it looks like one antagonist isn't quite down for the count.

Please review. No flames, or I'll chuck rock's at your neighbor's boss's daughter's mother's car window.


	25. Joy and Drama

Now for another chapter. And just so you guys have a heads-up, I won't be posting the final chapter until after I finish "Blu's Final Tale".

One more song left, *Just A Dream* by Nelly.

**Reviewer Thanks and a Merry Christmas**

**Elizabeth: **HOLY GUACAMOLE! I thought you vanished off the face of the earth! I really missed your reviews! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN! …lol jk jk ^-^ Anyway… Glad you like the carpet being alive; Barth-vader IS evile; Saved by a villain, classic irony; I had to give Rudy a crowning moment or too after picking on him so much; Drake and Derek are quite the geniuses, aren't they?; I knew you'd enjoy the Princess Tutu refs ^-^; …Er, Radio will be okay, now put the leek down please o.o; We get a lot of jerks like that, don't we?; Oh, I have something special in store for Roth-breath, don't worry ;) ; Housewives have that power- they can control their husbands XD ; …Shiny things tend to be very (sees penny) distracting… hold on…. (grabs penny) now what were we talking about? Lol

**Starspring: **Okey-dokey, that's the pairings we'll use then!; Hey, you'd be skeptical too if your sister was held prisoner by a werewolf, turned out to be pregnant, died years later, had a son you never knew about, and saw that he had wolf-ears… yeah, it happens :P ; Yeah, I tend to go overboard then it comes to people like Rothberta, but she'll get hers soon; Yep, those are parents for ya, you've summed it up better than I could ^-^ ; Yeah, I didn't want to kill the dragon, but I had to throw in some extra suspense; And since it's the Christmas season, I will have to withhold your offer, though you can have at it (hands you a rock) merry Christmas :D

**Scoobycool9: **Ding ding ding! Tell him what he's won, Johny! Lol; Yeah, and she's good at it… TOO good, apparently; Yep, sure is cute; So close, yet so far… and it'll be something much, much, much more unexpected.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Everyone had their heads bowed in respect, snow slowly falling as if the others weren't shivering enough from their sobs. There was the sound of a car pulling up just then, and everyone turned to see a black van belonging to the Pent Towers authorities. "Did you happen to send us a distress call, Detective?" the warden asked, approaching Izzy, though slowed down her pace, examining the scene. "Which, I'd assume, wasn't quite needed?"

"Well, we need SOMEONE to haul these two poltergeist-pinheads away," Lilly stated, still holding on to Jacque and Anchantor. "They've been causing trouble from day one- possessing people, scaring the daylights out of us, trying to kill everyone…"

The warden scowled. "Possessing people without a permit, and exposing your ghostly forms in front of the non-supernatural are high crimes, and it doesn't help much to be trying to commit after-death murder," she waved her finger around their heads and wrists, and the shackling-spell took place. "Well, no more. From now on, you will not attack nor haunt, otherwise be engulfed and suffocated by the symbols that bound you,"

"For how long?" Jacque demanded. "You cannot bound a spirit forever! We'll have to move on someday!"

Lilly scoffed. "Buddy, unless you repent and convert, you ain't gonna have a good afterlife, so says the Lord," she remarked.

"Oh, shut up you-" Anchantor snapped, calling Lilly a name that shall not be repeated. Izzy waved her hand and symbols wrapped around his mouth, silencing him.

"NOW you can't speak, either." Izzy said.

The warden walked over and grabbed Anthony next. "Now to handle him…" she said, then turned to his kin. "And the rest of you,"

"With all due respect, ma'am, we'd like to give a protest," said a were-cat with tiger-stripes. "We never wanted to team up with Anthony…"

"But he threatened to hunt us all down if we didn't join him," said a werecat with white fur. "Being as good as hunter he was, we were afraid for our lives,"

"And he proved his power by scorching Ash," said the Siamese werecats.

"You will still stand trial," the warden said firmly. "Though I will consider your testimonies, if you come peacefully."

The werecats allowed themselves to be shackled and loaded into the van. "What are you going to do with Anthony?" Rudy asked Izzy.

"I thought about having his memory erased again, making him forget ever meeting you guys… but after what he's done, he can just rot in jail." She replied, then gave him a peck on the cheek. "Until we meet again, my Battling Ballerina,"

He blushed, feeling his cheek. "Alright… my Vicious Vampire-Cat Killer,"

Izzy chuckled then shut the door, and drove off.

Danny stood beside Rudy, arms crossed and smirking. "I saw that…" he said, jokingly.

"What? I-It was only a kiss! We're just friends! We-" Rudy began to stammer.

The prince chuckled, putting an arm around him. "I know,"

"What's there to laugh about?" Jimmy snapped, still holding Radio's limp body in his hands. "We still lost Radio…"

Lilly rubbed her chin, smirking. "Did you?" she questioned.

"She's dead, isn't she?"

The angel chuckled. "Best if ya check again, boy,"

Jimmy arched an eyebrow, then looked down at Radio, who slowly opened her eyes. "Jimmy…?" she whispered, rubbing her head. "What happened? I blacked out…"

"Radio! You're…" Jimmy gasped.

"YOU'RE ALIVE!" Rudy squealed, running over and hugging Radio… then saw the look Jimmy was giving him. "Er, uh… sorry, forgot you just married."

"But, I don't understand," Radio said, scratching her head. "I lost all my nine lives… how…?"

"Your spell was broken," Danny spoke up. "Since Jimmy and I are cousins, him marrying you was enough to finally break the spell, sealing the betrothing and finally ending your curse. When Bartholomew struck you, you were still a Furry until you and Jimmy married… and then your cat-half died."

Everyone stared. "That made absolutely no sense…" Jimmy sneered, then hugged Radio. "But right now, I don't give a damn."

"C'mon, lets head back to a hospital," Elizabeth said. "Then we can head to the castle and give you kids a proper ceremony,"

"Can I be the maid of honor?" Starspring asked, excitedly.

"Dibs on best-man!" Al added, sticking his hand in the air.

Everyone chuckled, then climbed on Al's carpet- having grown after being burned- and flew off. "I'd like to stick around, but it appears my work is done," Lilly said to them, then flew up into the sunlight. "See ya guys in Heaven!"

"Thanks Lilly! See you later!" Rudy called, waving.

It all seemed to be a perfect ending…

Yet it wasn't over just yet.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Robin, Sophie, and Amy walked down the path after arriving in Britalva, after searching Lobonia and not finding a trace of them, though managed to find the license plate of the burned SUV (the only part of the car that survived). "There's Danny's castle," Robin said. "He happens to be a cousin of Jimmy's, so I'm sure he'll be able to help us out,"

"He has a cousin as well?" Amy gasped. "Oh, there's so much about our nephew we don't know… What kind of aunts are we?"

"Ooh, as soon as we find Silver, I'm going to clobber him!" Sophie snarled. "Why didn't he ever tell Jimmy about us, or come looking for us?"

"Probably because you both have a grudge against him and he didn't want Jimmy to lose any more parents," Robin retorted. "Now, c'mon, lets go…"

They approached the gates. "Who's down there?" One of the guards asked.

"It is I, Sheriff Robin, and Amy and Sophie Krook. We've come to see Danny,"

"I'm sorry, but the young prince is out, and isn't due back until the end of the week. However, his cousin happens to be home,"

"That must be Jimmy," Amy said, trying to contain her excitement.

"We'll see him then," Robin said, smiling, and the guard opened the gate and they walked in.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Rothberta, in the meantime, was serving tea to a guest. "How dreadful. Why didn't you tell anyone you were Danny's cousin, before?" she asked.

"I've been living as a commoner for so long, I was afraid no one would believe me. (sigh) I just wish there was something I could have done, before that scoundrel stalking our family attacked…"

"Now now, it's not your fault, dear. How did you get captured in the first place?"

"I was out with my friends, coming to the castle to try to convince Danny who I was, when we were ambushed. I had to lie and say I was from a different royal family so he'd keep away from Danny, and it was the only way I could stay in the castle after the rescue long enough to try to tell the truth. I tried to tell them sooner, but we were ambushed again…"

"How did you get away?"

"I saved that magic carpet, but unfortunately I was shot out of the sky, crashing through the trees… Thank God I was near the castle and landed in the rose bushes."

"Indeed. Why, you look like you fell from a thousand feet!"

"Well, flying's easy- landing is hard."

Rothberta rubbed her chin. "We couldn't find the carpet, though… I wonder where it fell?"

"Possibly flew back to its previous owner, who knows? I just hope my cousin and friends are alright…"

"It's hard to-"

"Ro'hberta! I just received a call!" The maid exclaimed, running in. "Prince Daniel is alright! That devilish cat-creature has been caught, and they'll be home tomorrow evening! They just stopped at a hospital to get some of their friends treated… And, best news, we'll be holding a WEDDING!"

"WONDERFUL!" Rothberta practically danced with joy. "Oh, it's about time! I cannot wait!" she turned to the guest, holding his hand. "Isn't this wonderful? Everyone is alright, and Daniel is finally getting married! Ooh, I just can't wait for them to come home!"

Bartholomew smirked. "Neither can I, Ro'hberta," he said, a twinge of darkness in his tone. "It'll be quite a reunion." he stood up, walking out of the room, rubbing his palms together. "Oh, yes indeed…"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: And the drama returns once again! …See? Told you it wasn't over yet.

Please review. No flames or I'll throw you out a one-story window… into a pit of crocodiles.

Merry Christmas!


	26. Decisions, Decisions

Now for an update. May be my last one for a while until I finish the 'Blu' story, but we'll see ;)

**Reviewer Thanks**

**Elizabeth: **I take it you're glad Radio is alive? XD ; …Yeah, I spotted that loophole a while back and decided to use it; …It's a good thing I don't know Japanese 9.9; And thanks! :D

**Scoobycool9: **We all want to throw something at Barth-Vader; Sometimes the uptight will believe anything; And we'll see how he gets it.

**Starspring: **Soon; Yeah, I like to include 'happy' moments sometimes ^-^; Yes, Rothberta met and recognizes Bartholomew, he just fed her a sap-story that she fell for; And he will… right now I'm deciding who should do the honors XD

0o0o0o0o0o0

Red Rose and Silver sat in the waiting room of the hospital, Silver still in his werewolf-form. Al had fallen asleep on his carpet, which he gripped tightly, being so relieved to have it back, Derek and Drake painting his nails. "I hope they'll be alright after this," Red Rose sighed.

"They've gone through worse, don't worry." Silver replied with a shrug.

Red Rose looked at him. "You know, they have potions that will help you change back human,"

"Nah… I've been changed into a werewolf so much that I've decided to just stay one. It has it's good qualities: My senses are sharper, I'm stronger, faster, and no one will be dumb enough to give me any shit unless they have a death-wish."

"Or think you need an attitude-adjustment."

"You think I'm bad, you've never met Blu Carson."

Red Rose nodded, remembering meeting the girl once. She studied Silver, curiously. "You know… I can't help but believe I've seen you like this before."

Silver thought about it. "You might have. Anchantor once cursed me again to be nothing but a werewolf, but his curse was never complete and it only lasted a week… though I don't remember much about being one."

She shrugged. "I know how you feel. I had amnesia for so many years in the past, yet once I got my memory back, I couldn't remember what I had been doing."

"Perhaps there's a chance we did meet, but don't remember,"

"Maybe. …So, are you really thinking about returning to Fairytale Land?"

"I might, or I may move into my old house. I'd go back to my castle, but that was burned to the ground and they set up a mini-mall on the property. …What about you? You gonna go back after Danny becomes king?"

"Maybe… it depends if he'll still be king. Since Jimmy and Radio are now together, Danny doesn't have a wife, and I don't want to force him to pick a princess."

"You probably won't have to," Drake said, as he and Derek sat beside them. "Danny already has someone he loves,"

"Yeah, haven't you noticed?" Derek added. "'Might not be a princess, but they're still good enough for him, and that's all that matters. It just depends if they want to be with him."

"And who might Danny's love-interest be (if I didn't know already)?" Silver asked, sarcastically arching an eyebrow.

"Rudy Homes, duh!" The twins said in unison, rolling their eyes.

"Huh, never thought Danny would be a homosexual. …Oh, well. His choice," Red Rose said with a shrug.

"You take the news well," Silver said, impressed.

"Well, it's not my say to who he loves. The kingdom might get jumpy, and Lord knows Ro'hberta will have an ulcer… but as long as he's happy, so am I. Though, since Rudy isn't royalty, Danny might have to renounce the throne,"

"Which may make him even more happier… despite someone will have to take his place, and I doubt Jimmy would be willing to take up the offer."

"True, though if I could find someone to marry and bare a child within the next few weeks, I'd be a likely candidate. …Though, royalty isn't my place, and I'm needed back in Fairytale Land."

"Quite a problem then," Silver said, rubbing his chin.

Silence came upon them, the only sound being Al's snoring.

"So… you were royalty yourself once, huh?" Red Rose asked, starting a new conversation.

Silver nodded. "Yeah. Didn't enjoy it much, though, especially since I was in Danny's shoes- having to take classes, barely getting to go out and be a regular human being, and was only allowed to become king when I wed some brood. Only difference was my curse, which led to me meeting Jimmy's mother, got me a son, and gave me the life of a commoner… It was actually a relief, to tell the truth."

"Save the angry mob," The twins added.

"Right…"

"So, if Ashley had broken the curse earlier, you think you'd be king now, if you both married?"

Silver shrugged. "Probably. Marrying her would make her a queen, which would automatically make her a noble and- where are you two going?"

"To tell Danny we found a solution to the problem!" Drake called back as he and Derek ran down the hall.

"Yeah, thanks Silver!" Derek exclaimed.

Red Rose chuckled. "I guess we forgot about that part. …Question is, will Danny and Rudy go through with it?" she wondered to herself.

"Hard to say." Silver sighed, leaning back. There was a long pause before he spoke again. "You sort of remind me of her, you know."

_*I was thinking of her, thinking of me*_

"Ashley?"

"Mm-hmm. You really know how to deal with dangerous situations, you're funny and witty, and you find my beastly nature charming."

_*Thinking of us, what we gonna be*_

She smiled, shrugging. "What can I say? Sensitive men aren't my thing. If you come back to Fairytale Land, we could hang out more."

"Despite I'm a werewolf?"

_*Opened my eyes, it was only just a dream*_

"Hey, I like 'em furry."

He smirked, putting an arm around her. "Yep, you're my kind of girl…" he leaned close.

"Alright, who painted my toenails?" Al snapped, haven awakened.

Silver and Red Rose looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Out of the rest of the group, Rudy was the one who took most, if not all, of the beating. His entire abdomen was bandaged after he got stitches, a few bruises on his arms and legs, and… well, lets just say it's a relief nothing was broken, and he was starting to look better now that he was being treated.

_*Traveled back, down that road*_

Danny stood in the doorway, watching him. He had a few bruises and cuts as well, yet as he looked at the condition his friend was in, he knew there was nothing he could complain about. The only thing that pained him was seeing how hurt Rudy had been- physically and emotionally. …And he wanted to set things right and help heal him, if his friend would allow it.

_*Will she come back? No one knows*_

_Whether he wants me or not, I'm going to make things clear, once and for all. _The prince told himself.

_*Open my eyes, it was only just a dream*_

"Danny!" Someone whispered, and he turned to see Derek and Drake standing around the corner. "Come here, we have something to share with you."

Danny looked at Rudy once more, then walked over to the twins. "What is it?" he asked.

"We just figured out a solution to your matrimony issues," Drake said.

"You can pick anyone you want! It doesn't matter if they're commoner or noble, because either way their union to you will make 'em royalty!" Derek added.

"So, if you want to marry Rudy, you can and it'll make him a noble…"

"…Or, renounce your title but still be with your lover."

"Silver helped us figure it out." The twins said in unison, grinning.

Danny grinned, but then considered it, realizing there were a few problems. First of all, Rudy might not accept his proposal, especially since he just got out of a nasty relationship; Even if he did, the prince didn't want to drag him into the royal life, involving his friend having to take lessons that would teach him to be a monarch (which would also involve Ro'hberta breathing down his neck); If he renounced the throne, he'd only be putting his parents' sacrifice, Izzy's research, his friends' determinations, Red Rose's teachings, and the carpenter's efforts to rebuild the castle all in vain, let alone he has no one to fill in his place and God knows who would get the throne if he resigned… let alone that rotten chambermaid would be screaming at him for the rest of his life.

"You'll never know what will happen…" Drake began.

"No matter what choice you make…" Derek added.

"Until you've made a decision," they finished in unison.

Danny arched an eyebrow, wondering if the twins could read minds. He let out a sigh, shaking his head and sitting down. "I don't know what to do," he replied. "I know what to say, but it's the outcome I'm worried about."

"Like we said, you can't be sure until you give it a try," Drake said.

"Yeah, no use getting worried about something if you don't know what's going to happen right away… unless you're in a horror-movie." Derek added with a shrug.

"You'll know when it's the right moment," They said in unison, then walked off.

Danny looked back into Rudy's room, seeing that Jimmy was now in there visiting with him, both of them obviously talking about his marriage to… "Might I speak with you?" Radio asked in a whisper, standing behind Danny.

"Um, of course. What is it?" Danny asked, wondering who the next person to speak with him in private will be.

"I know you are still in love with him… and I can tell he still has feelings for you. I can tell just by the way you look at each other."

Danny nodded. "He said he had already moved on…"

"That, I doubt. You've seen my brother- if he found out sooner that you and Rudolph still had feelings for each other, he would have done worse things before our journey began. He was always a brat, wanting to get whatever he wanted… even if it meant taking it from another person. To him, you were like a rival predator, trying to take his prey."

"Yeah, I can tell that now,"

"What I'm saying is, I know he still loves you. He was just scared because of Bartholomew- not for himself, but for you."

Danny looked at Rudy once more. "I had a feeling… and I wanted to do something, to protect him, and keep that damned crow from harming him-"

"You're not the only one, believe me. If that dragon hadn't eaten him, I would be using every ounce of my strength to beat whatever brains he has out of him- and if he was still alive, I'd let you and James have at him."

"Jimmy?"

"Well, you didn't think you and I were the only ones the most pissed off, did you? James had been wanting to kick Bartholomew's ass for quite some time. He may deny it, but he's just as protective of Rudolph as you and I." she looked into the room, at Jimmy. "He wants to protect all of us… We're basically the only family he's ever had, and he doesn't want to lose a single one of us."

Jimmy noticed them looking in just then. "Hey, you guys ready to check-out and head to the castle?" he asked. Because of his werewolf-healing ability, he was basically the only one who didn't have any bruises or scratches, next to Radio.

"Yeah, lets go-" Danny began.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU DOPPELGANGING DIPSHITS!" They heard Al scream, and saw him chasing after Drake and Derek.

"…Though, something tells me we'll be in the hospital longer than we thought…"

"…and that Al's about to help make a doctor a millionaire," Jimmy added.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Alright, guys, next chapter will include some final suspense. Until then, help me decide: Should Danny become king, or not? If not, who should take his place? And should Silver return to Fairytale Land with Red Rose? And should Bartholomew get killed, or just a painful ass-kicking that would make him wish he were dead? And should I give Izzy one last appearance? And what kind of cookies should I make, chocolate chip or peanut-butter?

Please give your answer and review. Do not flame, or no cookie for you.


	27. Settling Things Once And For All

Wow, I'm really surprised by the results, guys. …Though it wouldn't surprise me that everyone voted for the same thing XD

With that said, here's a new chapter.

Might contain a ton of fluffiness, so brace yourselves!

**Reviewer Thanks And Chocolate Chip + Peanut Butter Cookies ^-^**

**Scoobycool9 and Starspring**: You guys practically think alike, did you know that? Lol Thanks for your votes and inputs, and you both have really good points.

0o0o0o0o0o0

Robin, Sophie, and Amy sat in the foyer. After informing Rothberta that Robin was a sheriff and the two ladies were relatives of Jimmy's, looking for the young man and Silver, the chambermaid allowed them to stay- still freakishly overjoyed about Danny 'being married' that she had no critical comments or questioned them… and yet the world still hasn't ended. Fancy that.

The group returned to the castle within two hours, and were a little surprised to see them. "Robin? What are you doing here?" Jimmy asked his father. He refused to call him 'dad', finding it a bit awkward to use the term for a man who he hardly knew, let alone who abandoned him. He turned his attention to Amy and Sophie. "And, who are your friends?"

"These are your-" Robin began to say.

"SEE? I TOLD YOU THAT BEAST WAS STILL AROUND!" Amy shouted, pointing at Silver. "_AND_ HE'S STILL A WEREWOLF!"

"Dammit, just when I thought I'd never have to see these turkeys again," Silver muttered, shaking his head.

Sophie approached Jimmy, nervously. "Are you… Ashley's son?" she asked, taking note of his ears.

"Yes, I'm Jimmy Krook," Jimmy answered. "Why do you ask?"

"We… we were your mother's sisters. Your aunts. Your father explained everything to us when we ran into him…"

"Right after I slapped him until he started seeing doubles," Amy added. "How is it that Silver is still a werewolf? Robin, you said his curse had been broken!"

"It's actually my fault," Jimmy explained. "I scratched him twice, and… did you say you were my aunts?"

"Yes," Sophie replied.

Jimmy rubbed his chin. "Alright… so, where were you when my mom was in trouble, fell ill, and died? I didn't see you at her funeral."

Amy and Sophie exchanged guilty looks. "That's because… we never found out until later." Amy sighed. "After she was brought home from the hospital after her experience at Silver's castle, we started drifting apart."

"Our father, your grandfather, caught pneumonia, and he passed away. It was very hard for us to go through, and your mother decided to move, wanting to forget everything…"

"Let alone get away from a bunch of doctors who wanted to run an examination on you while you were in her stomach, to see if you had the bea- I mean, Silver's DNA, because everyone thought-"

"He raped her and got her knocked up, I know. He told me," Jimmy interrupted, blushing.

"(ahem) Yes, but that was BEFORE Robin confessed he was your father, so we were a little concerned as well." Sophie continued.

"But she took off in the middle of the night, and didn't call us, send letters, e-mails, or anything, just so she could lay low. We thought about calling the police, but after what your mother went through, we didn't want to inflict any more drama upon her." Amy added.

"By the time we finally heard from her, it had been almost three years. She wrote us a letter, saying she was doing fine and had made a new boyfriend, and that you were one-hundred percent human- er, when you were born. (ahem) Anyway, we tried keeping in contact, but drifted further apart. The last time we heard anything about her, she had died, and we were granted custody of you, haven been told to pick you up from the orphanage… but you weren't there."

"I ran away," Jimmy sighed. "I was only seven at the time, and didn't know about any relatives, and basically every parent who came in to adopt a kid wouldn't even look at me, so I just left and took care of myself, up until I was sent to prison- though some cops mistook me for some troll-guy, and I ended up at the same jail as Silver, and that's how we met."

Amy gawked. "There's a jail for monsters? …You went to JAIL?" she gasped.

"Yeah, but I've put that lifestyle behind me."

Red Rose cleared her throat. "Well, I suppose you all would like to catch up, so we'll just leave you be." she said, as she, Rudy, Danny, Drake, Derek, and Al left the room.

On came the awkward silence.

"So… has anything else happened to you that Robin didn't fill us in about?" Amy asked.

"Well… I have a girlfriend, and Red Rose married us, and we'll be having a ceremony in a couple months," Jimmy answered, putting an arm around Radio.

"Hello," Radio said, giving a small wave.

"So much to learn…" Sophie sighed, sitting down. "I knew I had a nephew somewhere, and now that I've met him… wow."

"Yeah, I know how you feel," Robin added… and Silver smacked him upside the head. "Ow! Watch it! Strength like that, you could've knocked my head off."

"I'm sorry I didn't." Silver scoffed, then started pushing him out the door. "You heard Rosie. Let Jimmy get to know his long-lost aunts."

"Is he always so brutish?" Amy asked Jimmy.

"Eh, he's not so bad once you get to know him. Better than Rupert, at least, now HE was a douche-bag." Jimmy answered.

"Tell us everything," Sophie said.

And so Jimmy told his aunts his story, while they told him a little about themselves, finally getting to know more about the family they thought they didn't have.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Rudy stood in the empty dance-room, the moonlight shining through the windowpanes. Taking in a deep breath, he began to dance once again. So much had happened and he needed something to help him clear his head and relax… though once again he was interrupted. "Care for a partner?" Danny asked, stepping in.

Rudy shrugged. "Been a while since I've had one…" he answered, taking his hand.

It was like they were mirrored images, their timing in sync and mimicked every graceful leap, spin, sashay, and step the other did. Rudy then leaped high into the air, like he had done back at the hotel, and this time he didn't slip, nor did he even land- instead, the prince caught him by the midsection, holding him in the air for a brief moment before lowering him back to the ground, both of them swiftly dancing close together now. Rudy turned outward and Danny pulled him back in, standing behind him, keeping a hand on his waist, holding his upper hand. Rudy sighed, leaning against him, and Danny gently nuzzled his neck.

Rudy gasped and pulled away. "No… no more, please… I'm sorry," he said, then rushed out of the room.

"Wait!" Danny called, running after him, catching him in the hallway.

"I can't do it, Danny… After what's happened, I… I can't get close to you-"

"Will you stay close enough to me so that I can speak with you? There's so many things I need to say," There was a silence as Rudy just stood there, with his back to him. "Please, Rudy… hear me out. I have to talk to you… I've wanted to for so long. Don't make me wait anymore."

Rudy sighed, then faced him. "Alright. Talk."

"Not here. Lets go somewhere private- I don't want Ro'h to interfere."

He nodded and followed Danny into his room, where they sat on the bed. "You know… it's ironic. In the past, I always waited for you to say something, and now you're worried about me having you wait to say it."

"I know… and after what's happened, I want to make everything clear, and set things right." Danny heaved a sigh. "First… I'm sorry for what I did to you. I couldn't decide between my emotions, unable to figure out who I really wanted to share my life with… I felt like an idiot, realizing I had someone all along, and felt like a total jackass for hurting them." he gently held his hand. "Can you forgive me?"

Rudy sighed, wincing a bit. "I forgave you long ago, Danny… but, if you still want to try to start over and have a relationship, I don't know if I can. After what you did years ago, and after Bartholomew came along, and then Izzy's got me confused- please don't ask, it's awkward enough- and now…" he shook his head, putting his face in his hands. "I'm just scared it will all happen all over again. I don't want to hurt you, but I don't want to be hurt either…"

Danny gave his hand a gently squeeze. "Rudy… ever since I was brought back to this monarch-hell, I couldn't stop thinking about you. I thought about the first time we met, how you took me in, how we faced every near-death situation together… Every time a princess came in to court me- a scheme Ro'hberta cooked up so I could 'properly' be king- I could hardly look at them and picture a future, because every time I did, you kept appearing in my mind. I don't want to be engaged to a woman I hardly know, I don't want to live in this castle alone… heck, I don't even want to be king! I just… I want to be with you. That's all I ever wanted."

Rudy remained silent, not even looking at him.

"You're the only one who truly made me feel happy, Rudy… and I want to make sure you're happy, too."

"It's hard to be happy when you're always afraid…"

Danny gave him a look, then wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "Listen to me, Rudy Homes… If you're ever afraid, I want to fight your fears. I never want to see you tremble again, or shed anymore tears of hurt. I want to be there to protect you, take care of you, and look after you, like how you were always there for me. I don't want you to hurt anymore, and if you do, I want to heal you, take the pain away…" he wrapped both arms around him. "I love you, Rudy. Don't be scared, because I mean it, and I'll never take it back."

He felt a squeeze as Rudy rested his head on his shoulder, and he felt tears running down his neck. "I love you too, Danny…" he whispered, lightly sobbing.

Danny rubbed his back, holding him close. "It's okay, Rudy… I'm not going anywhere. I'm here."

"Not for long…" came a grim voice, and Bartholomew stepped out of the shadows, holding a dagger. He approached them with a look of sheer hatred in his eyes, his gaze aimed at Danny. "Thought I was dead, didn't you? Well, I survived… but you're not going to be so lucky-"

*BAM!*

Rudy punched him square in the face. "For the love of GOD, will you _stop stalking me_?" he snapped.

"Not until I get what I want- your body in my bed, and that prince's guts splattered all over the wa-"

Rudy kicked him in the face, then tried to grab the dagger, but Bartholomew kept a firm grip, both of them wrestling over it, but the evil prince had him pinned in seconds. "Get off of him!" Danny snarled, trapping Bartholomew in a headlock and pulling him off.

Bartholomew swiped at his face, forcing the prince to let go and shove him away to avoid losing an eye. "I WILL get what I want… Rudy and I are lovers, he doesn't belong to you!"

"I'm NOT some item you can buy, Mew." Rudy sneered, standing close to Danny. "I'm my own man, and I choose to be with Danny, not a horny psychopath like you!"

"We were in LOVE, and we should have made love by now!"

"Being in love doesn't mean you automatically have to sleep with someone. I'm in love with Danny, but I don't show lust… I'm not that kind of homosexual. I have the emotions of a woman and a man, but no raging hormones like you do, and I choose to share my feelings with someone who actually shows me some respect… let alone DOESN'T force me to put on a dress so the public eye doesn't criticize us! You thought you were ashamed of me? You got it mixed up. I was ashamed of YOU."

Bartholomew gawked, then gritted his teeth. "You little whore!" he then lunged.

Danny and Rudy gasped when an arrow was suddenly sticking out of Bartholomew's chest, watching as he fell to his knees, then onto the floor. "Man, I hate it when there's more talk and less fighting," Izzy scoffed, standing in the window with a crossbow. She then grabbed Bartholomew's body. "Ah, yes, hunted down just like his parents and older sisters. …Only he deserved it."

"Izzy? I thought you left!" Danny said, surprised.

"I was, but I realized I still had Rudy's cell-phone." she handed the mobile device to Rudy. "You might want to change your ringtone for Jimmy by the way, too. I doubt he'd like to know you have 'Face Down, Ass Up' set for it. …Though, I did put a new picture on your facebook page for you." With that and a wink, she sprouted wings and flew off with Bartholomew's body. "See you around, men!"

Danny and Rudy looked at each other, then sighed with relief. "Man, am I glad she's on OUR side," Rudy said, sitting back on the bed.

"I'll say, and I'm glad she didn't play the 'triple agent' card again- I was confused enough from the first time!" Danny added with a chuckle.

There was a small silence as they looked at each other, moonlight shining on their faces, illuminating their features. _He's never looked more hansom than he does now… _Rudy thought, staring into his eyes, and they leaned close to embrace.

"WHAT IN GOD'S HOLY NAME IS GOING ON IN HERE?" Rothberta screeched, bursting through the door… and shrieked at the sight she saw. "DANIEL! What on earth…?" She trudged over, fuming. "You are to be wed to a PRINCESS, not some common faggot! Oh, I just KNEW there was a catch somewhere!" she then faced Rudy. "And you! How dare you corrupt him with your sinful behavior! You-"

Danny immediately stood up, placed a hand on Rothberta's shoulders, and ushered her out the door. "That's enough!" he snapped.

"Daniel! You cannot do this! It's… it's…"

He raised a hand, silencing her. "You know, Ro'hberta, there's something I've been wanting to say to you since the moment we met: _Fuck. Off."_

He then slammed the door in her face, leaving her gawking and babbling and fuming, and she stormed off. "ELIZABETH! We need to have a word about your NEPHEW!"

Danny rolled his eyes, then turned back to Rudy, walking over and lying down in the bed, his friend next to him. "I've always wanted to say that to her,"

"You picked the perfect moment," Rudy chuckled, cuddling close to him.

Danny reached over and grabbed a remote to his stereo, turning it on, listening to the final notes of a song…

_*I was thinking of her, thinking of me*_

_*Thinking of us, what we gonna be*_

_*Open my eyes, (yeah) it was only just a dream*_

_*So I traveled back, down that road*_

_*Will she come back? No one knows*_

_*I realized (yeah) it was only just a dream…*_

Danny and Rudy looked at each other, leaning close and finally kissing after all these years. Holding each other close, they drifted to sleep in each other's arms.

0o0o0o0o0o0

After speaking with his aunts, Jimmy and Radio walked off to bed, passing by Drake, Derek, and Al, who were on Rudy's laptop (retrieved from Anthony's castle) laughing their heads off. "What's so funny?" Radio asked.

"Rudy's new photo…" Al said, smirking, then turned the computer around, showing the picture of Jimmy with his arms around Danny.

Jimmy only sneered, shaking his head. "Next time I see Izzy… I'm gonna kill her." he put simply.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: And finally, everything is settled between Danny and Rudy. Finally will come after I finish 'Blu's Final Tale'.

Until then, review. No flames or Rothberta keeps her job!

*frantic shrieks are heard*


	28. The Ceremony

Okay, guys. I read over a couple chapters, and I realized there's still a few things to patch up, so here's a short chapter on the characters settling some problems. …THEN the last chapter will come after Blu's Final Tale! I promise this time!

**Reviewer Thanks And Don't Judge Me!**

**Elizabeth: **Glad you think so. Thanks for the votes, rofl

**Scoobycool9: **Basically, yes.; And we'll never see him again; That sums it up; And yes, I actually did think about doing a story like that. Maybe in the future I'll write it up as a series of drabbles.

**Starspring: **No doubt about that; Oh, yeah…; I've been giving Rudy a hard time, so I decided to throw in one last starring moment for him and finally put him and Danny together ^-^; And don't worry, Rothberta will get more to her punishment ;)

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

It had been a month since everything had been settled… well ALMOST everything.

Jimmy was driving Rudy into their old hometown, his friend appearing nervous. "You sure you're ready to do this?" Jimmy asked him. "If you want to wait a few more days, we can…"

"Jimmy, I've had over three years to think about it, and I want to do it," Rudy interrupted. "I've been separated from my family too long, and I want to make things right before something else happens."

"Alright… just try not to take too long, alright? Danny wants us at the ceremony by tomorrow."

"I know…"

They pulled up in front of his house. Jimmy waited in the car, watching as Rudy walked up to the front door and knocked. His mother answered the door, and from the look on her face and the excited squeal, the rebel could easily tell that she was happy to see her son. Chris and Chrys happened to be there, too, and the twin sister hugged the breath out of her brother. Then came Mr. Homes…

Jimmy gripped his car-door handle. He heard about how Rudy's father felt about him in the past and about their fight, and was bracing himself to run out and back up his friend in case things got tense. He relaxed a bit when he saw Mr. Homes hug him, reading his lips that spelled out an apology, and then Rudy followed them inside.

The rebel sighed with relief, then drove over to his old house to check up on things, all the while grab Rudy's laptop charger for him.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

"Where have you been all these years?" Chrys asked her brother as they sat in the living room.

Rudy let out a heavy sigh. "You probably wouldn't believe my story… it's pretty crazy," he said.

"Still, we want to know," Mrs. Homes said. "What have you been up to?"

"And what happened to that bird-brained boyfriend of yours?" Chris asked, getting nudged in the ribs by his sister.

"Bartholomew is dead," Rudy answered, and saw the shocked looks on everyone's faces. "Yeah, it turns out he was a convict, and was killed on sight when he wouldn't cooperate… especially since he was pissed that I broke up with him."

"Are you alright? He didn't hurt you, did he?" Mr. Homes asked, concerned.

"Well… he hit and scratched me a few times, but luckily I was with Radio, Jimmy, and Danny, and a detective named Izzy."

"Hey, we met Izzy a while back, when you first lost contact with us!" Mrs. Homes gasped.

"Yeah, she was looking for me, along with my friends. We finally met up at Danny's castle… It turns out he's related to some nobles and was offered to stay there."

"Lucky," The twins commented.

"Anyway, a lot happened after that. Radio and Jimmy are going to be getting married, and Danny was selected to take over the throne… but he declined. He says that he's not much of the royal type and prefers staying a commoner."

"Idiot."

"Who's going to do it then?" Mrs. Homes asked.

Rudy shrugged. "He said he found a replacement, but won't say who until the ceremony tomorrow. After that, he's going to be coming home with me… we've started a new relationship." he looked over at his father, expecting an outburst.

Instead, his father shrugged. "Well, Danny is a lot better than that creep you met before." he stated, smiling. "Plus, we've had him part of our family for years already. …But if I see either of you wearing dresses, I'll have to say something."

Rudy chuckled. "Trust me, Dad. Me and Danny are going to have a healthy relationship. Who knows? We might even get married next!"

"Dibs on Maid of Honor!" Chrys exclaimed.

"What makes you think you'll be Maid of Honor?" Chris scoffed.

"Well, Rudy will be the bride, won't he? And Maid of Honor is practically the role for me!"

"Yeah right! He's going to be the groom, genius, and I'll be his best man!"

"Maid of Honor!"

"Best Man!"

"Maid of HONOR!"

"Best MAN!"

"Guys, guys! We're not getting married this instant!" Rudy interjected, laughing. "…Besides, Jimmy would be the best man and Radio would be Maid of Honor."

"Oh, thanks for THAT salt in the wound," Chrys scoffed, crossing her arms.

"By the way, where is Jimmy?" Mrs. Homes asked. "I saw him drop you off."

"He's back at his house, checking on things. We'll be heading out this afternoon," Rudy answered.

"So soon? But you just got here!" Mr. Homes gasped.

"I know, but I'll be back. I just came because… well Bartholomew's kept me away from you guys for so long that I really missed you, and wanted to come back home. From now on, I'll be near."

Mrs. Homes hugged her son. "I'm just glad you came home," she said.

He hugged her back. "I'm glad to finally be home,"

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

Rothberta carried her suitcases to the taxi, scowling as she passed by Radio and Danny. "Have a nice trip," Radio said, earning a sneer in return. She and Danny then walked back into the castle. "It's about time you finally gave her the boot,"

"I just gave her a few weeks to take in the fact that I'm renouncing the throne and staying with Rudy. …Seeing her shocked expression each day really lifts the spirits." Danny answered, smirking.

"By the way, who did you choose to take your place? Surely none of your other relatives qualified,"

"I know… As it turns out, my aunt Red Rose decided to retire from her office in Fairytale Land, claiming that going there every weekend wasn't helping her chances of being elected again, and she grew accustomed to helping out the kingdom, so she decided to stay here."

"So she'll be the queen?"

"Yes… as soon as she gets married in the summer."

Radio looked at him, eyes wide. "She's going to get married, too?"

"The same day as you and Jimmy."

Radio almost laughed. "But, who's the groom?"

Danny laughed. "Haven't you guessed?" he stopped her by the living room, where they saw Silver and Red Rose sitting by the fireplace, reading.

She felt her heart melt. "How wonderful." she whispered. Danny nodded and they continued on. "But, do you think Silver really wants to rule a kingdom again? Drake and Derek said that he wasn't up for royalty…"

"He changed his mind," Came two voices, and they looked over, seeing Drake and Derek walking behind them.

"Silver said that he didn't care about being royalty again…" Drake began.

"As long as Elizabeth was at his side," Derek finished.

"And we'll be working as servants again!" they both added in unison. "As chamberlads, to be exact, for when they have kids."

Danny chuckled. "Well, you'll be better than Ro'hberta," he commented.

"A rabid dog would be better than Ro'hberta," Radio added, and they all chuckled.

"By the way, where's Al and Starspring?"

"They went back to Fairytale Land. Al's girlfriend, Jazz, was starting to miss him, and Starspring has her own ceremony- she's going to be the next mermaid queen, now that her sister's dead." Drake answered.

"And Al wanted to get back to his street-rat duties now that Jimmy's problems were solved… though he's going to miss his partner-in-crime." Derek added with a shrug.

"Why didn't you guys go with him, then? You both are quite the street-rats yourselves," Radio asked.

"Nah, three's a crowd, and I doubt Al wants someone to outshine him," Drake replied, waving his hand.

"And besides, there's a lot of mischief we need to tend to around here… let alone cause just in case things get TOO boring," Derek added with a sneaky smile.

"Be careful, otherwise they'll have your sister arrest you," Danny joked.

"That's what we'll be hoping for!" The twins replied in unison, giving thumbs-ups.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

The ceremony took place the following morning, and the whole kingdom gathered. Danny once again stood on the balcony, only this time he wasn't giving the order to execute a prisoner, but giving something else. His throne. "My loyal subjects," he began. "Years ago my parents ruled this kingdom, with honor and glory, having been the finest rulers any of us could have seen. Yet on the day of their deaths, the title was passed down to me, and today I am to become king. …But I'm afraid that I could never be a proper monarch as they had been, which is why I am renouncing the throne."

There were confused murmurs across the crowd, but everyone kept their eyes on Danny, waiting to hear the rest of his speech.

"But, within the years of my orphan hood I came across someone who will rule this kingdom as my parents had done, if not better. Allow me to introduce your new king and queen, John Long and Elizabeth White, my aunt and uncle."

The crowd applauded as Silver and Red Rose stepped up, waving to the crowd. Danny stepped aside and stood by Jimmy, Radio, and Rudy on one side of the balcony, while Robin, Sophie, and Amy stood on the other, all of them watching the adults with pride. "Did you just call Silver your uncle?" Jimmy asked.

"Well, why not? They'll be married soon, so I might as well warm up to the idea… Though I'm still having trouble knowing I'll be more related to you than I thought possible."

"I'd be more worried about being related to Silver," Robin joked. "You won't want to get on his bad side."

"In other words, watch your back at the family reunions." Amy added.

"Alright you guys, knock it off before you spoil the occasion," Radio said.

"Yeah, otherwise I'll post that picture of you two back on the internet," Rudy warned Danny and Jimmy, smirking.

"We'll help," Drake and Derek added.

Danny and Jimmy rolled their eyes, looking back at Elizabeth and Silver, who stood arm-in-arm, giving a speech that assured that the kingdom was now in good hands. Rudy held his hand, smiling at him and resting his head on his shoulder, and he gave his hand a gentle squeeze.

The ex-prince smiled, knowing that he had made the right choice.

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: Okay, next chapter WILL be the final chapter, as promised.

Please review, but no flames or you'll never see another chapter again! For those of you who don't care, I'll just sick my killer bunny on you.

Killer Bunny: rawr!


	29. Final Chapters of the Mental Diaries

Well, here's the finally!

**Last Of The Reviewer Thanks**

**Elizabeth: **Wow, that was your shortest review yet! Lol, glad you liked Rothberta getting the boot XD

**Starspring: **Still, don't flame lol; Yeah, I decided to give everyone a happy moment ^-^

**Scoobycool9: **I've lost my train of thought many times before; Well, how else is he going to charge his laptop lol. Everybody is glad Rothberta is fired. Here's the wedding chapter!

0o0o0o0o0o0

_Months Later…_

It was the triple-wedding of the century.

Blu, Pin, Wolf, Red, Goldie, Snow White, Starspring, Fangface II, Aladdin, and Robin all arrived for the occasion… and a pair of twins accompanied them, who Blu introduced as Rosie and Posie. What really surprised everyone was the bundle in Blu's arms, and she explained how she was now a mother.

As everyone waited for the ceremony to start, Jimmy, Silver, and Danny stood in their dressing room, putting on their tuxedos. "Do I really have to wear this top-hat?" Jimmy muttered.

"Unless you want everyone freaking out about your wolf-ears again, you're going to have to." Silver answered.

There was a knock at the door, and Derek and Drake walked in. "Hey, guys, are you almost ready?" Drake asked.

"Yeah, your brides are ready," Derek added.

"We're coming," Danny said, pulling on his suit-jacket, and the three grooms walked out.

"You sure we're not rushing anything?" Jimmy asked Silver. "I mean, it's hardly been a year…"

"Jimbo, you and Radio have been dating long enough to know how much you really mean to each other," Silver answered, and turned to Danny. "And you and Rudy had to go through hell and back to find true love with each other, and I doubt you want to go through that again."

The two men nodded and walked on, not before seeing Fangface II and Wolf in the hallway, the knight wearing a black wig to cover his wolf-ears. "Hey Jimmy- whoa, what's with the hat?" The knight asked, arching an eyebrow.

Jimmy sneered and lifted it up, showing his ears. "Take a guess, Ben." he scoffed. "Any idea on how I can change back?"

"That's why we convinced Wolf to come. Bro, why don't you give Jimmy your wedding gift?"

"Sorry about this," Wolf said, then nipped Jimmy's hand.

"Ow!" Jimmy snapped, looking at the small cut on his hand. Suddenly he got a headache, but once it passed he felt his head… seeing that the wolf-ears were gone. "How in the world…?"

"Turns out wolfians are half-werewolf and half-wolf, and since they can't change someone into wolfians, they can only manage turning them into wolfids like myself, and since two bites from a wolfid changes someone into a werewolf, I figured a bite from a wolfian to a wolfid would change 'em normal. …Genius, right?"

"I've got a headache," Danny said, rubbing his head.

"Well, lets take our places, lads." Silver said, and they walked and stood by the altar.

Music started to play, and everyone watched as the brides- and fourth groom- walked down the isle. Red Rose was escorted by Snow White's husband; Radio was escorted by Robin; and Rudy was escorted by his father. They gave them away, and the ceremony began.

Derek and Drake looked over, noticing Rosie and Posie, who looked at them too. "Hey, bro, am I seeing double or are there two angels in our presence?" Derek asked.

"If you're seeing double, so am I," Drake whispered back, smirking. "I think I know what we can do at the reception."

"Any idea why someone brought a dog?" Mrs. Holmes asked her husband, referring to Wolf.

After giving their 'I Do's' and swapping rings, the ceremony was complete. Silver kissed Red Rose; Jimmy kissed Radio; and Danny kissed Rudy. Everyone applauded.

They had the reception in Danny's castle in the ballroom, and Danny and Rudy started their dance, to their favorite song: "If You're Not The One" by Nathan Bedingfield (a/n: sorry if I got that wrong).

Jimmy and Radio danced next, then Silver and Red Rose, and soon everyone was dancing and having a great time. Silver looked out the window, seeing that Blu and Pin were in the gardens, and Pin was proposing to her. She kissed him, so he figured she said yes. _Looks like she's got a new man to look after her now. _he thought, smiling.

After 1 in the morning, the guests started to leave, and everyone went back to their rooms. "So, where should we go for our honeymoon?" Danny asked.

"How about Fairytale Land? Pin just said he and Blu are getting married next," Rudy answered.

"No offense, Rudy, but I DON'T want to spend the first two weeks of my marriage in a sugar-coated land full of danger." Jimmy replied, rolling his eyes.

"It doesn't matter to me, really," Radio said, linking her arm with Jimmy's. "Just as long as we're together."

They walked along, seeing Drake and Derek still socializing with Rosie and Posie. "Looks like Izzy's brothers got some girlfriends," Silver said, chuckling.

"Looks like there's someone for everyone after all," Red Rose commented, then lied her head on Silver's shoulder.

Everyone went to bed then, falling asleep in their lover's arms.

0o0o0o0o0o0

**Rudy's POV**

When I was a child, I always dreamed about having a fairytale wedding in a beautiful castle and being wed to a prince… though I never thought my life would have to be like a fairytale for it to happen. I had been abused nearly my whole life, whether from my siblings or from a cruel boyfriend, and encountered danger of almost every kind, having to be saved or save my friends in order to get a happy ending.

But at long last, my dream at come true. Danny and I were married, and we planned on adopting a child once we were ready. …After seeing Blu's child, I was starting to get eager, but it was a decision we had to make together.

We attended Blu's wedding months later, and I was happy to see that she made a family of her own, so I guess I wasn't the only one getting my dream-wedding, and she and Pin decided to honeymoon outside of Fairytale Land in my hometown, so Danny and I took care of Susan for them so they could have some time to themselves… and so I could get the feel of what being a parent would be like.

Once it was over, Danny and I found a home in a new town close to my old one, in a humble one-story house with a big yard and a beautiful garden. He got a job as a dance-instructor, while I took online college-classes, and started working on a novel about our adventures.

Whether people would believe it was real or a fairytale, I was willing to have our stories be told.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**Danny's POV**

I knew that up in heaven, my parents were proud of me. Alright, sure, they probably didn't expect me to marry a man, but they were proud I followed my heart and put our kingdom in good hands. I kept in touch with Red Rose, who claimed that the kingdom was thriving under Silver's rule… and since he was a werewolf, assassination attempts were impossible due to his prowess and cunning.

Drake and Derek hit it off with those twins, Rosie and Posie, who got jobs as maids at the castle. My aunt soon became pregnant, and all the twins were eager to take care of the child, setting up a special room for it, buying lots of clothes and toys. Silver was worried about whether the child would be a werewolf or not, but as long as it was healthy and out of danger, he nor my aunt really cared.

I knew Rudy and I would have to adopt, but in a way that would be a good thing, knowing how many children need parents out there, and I knew the world didn't need another Jimmy Krook to deal with. We decided to practice by taking care of Blu and Pin's child while they were on their honeymoon… and I know for a fact that Rudy and I will be great parents, for there was no better feeling than having a child to hold in your arms.

I got a job to support us, while Rudy took online classes and wrote a book about our experiences. I supported him by looking for a good publisher, and soon the book was on the shelves. Blu called me one day claiming the library she worked at had to get several copies because so many people wanted to read it, and asked if Rudy thought about making it a manga next.

As a boy, I always wanted to live a normal life… though one day I realized there was no such thing as a normal life, especially for my friends and I. But my wish had been granted at last.

0o0o0o0o0o0o0

**Jimmy's POV**

I never expected to have a good role-model, live in a house, attend school, and marry a beautiful woman… I also never expected to meet monsters, be half-werewolf, or rip off some fairytale stories. …But I guess I'll have to take what I have.

It wasn't long before Radio and I were going to be parents, and it turns out Silver was going to have a kid of his own, too, while Rudy and Danny were adopting, so I guess that meant our family was growing. Blu got married too, and I figured if she can handle having a kid, I could as well.

I got a job as a kick-boxing instructor, and I planned on teaching my kids a few moves too, so if they ever have to face the world- both mythical and natural- they'd be able to handle it. I had to grow up teaching myself, and if it wasn't for Silver, I would have been dead, so I want to make sure my kids know enough to make it out there.

And get this: Rudy wrote a book about our lives titled, "Three Boys Who Became Three Men."

Not really that much of a title, but the story still hit off pretty well… though we had to convince him to change a few names so no one would come knocking on our doors for an interview (and we ruled out using any anime aliases so we wouldn't get our asses sued).

Izzy drops by once in a while when she's not on a case, happy to see that our curses are broken and life isn't giving us a hard time anymore. She tells us stories of what's happening in the supernatural world, and from all that's she tells us, I'm GLAD we're not part of it.

So, there you have it. Life is good for me and my friends, and as much as I'd hate to say this cliché, I must…

We lived happily ever after.

**THE END**

0o0o0o0o0o0

A/N: And that's the end of the saga. Answers to the anime-aliases will be coming up next.

Please review.


	30. Anime Aliases Answers

Here are the answers to everyone's aliases. If any of you are in the middle of the story and trying to figure it out, this will cause some spoilers.

Red Rose's alias: **Rosanne Belle- **The 'Rosanne' relates to her actual name, and 'Belle' relates to the fact that in the story, she becomes Silver's new love-interest, let alone shows some similarity to the Belle from 'Beauty and the Beast', considering how Rothberta complains how odd she is and how she doesn't mind Silver as a werewolf.

Silver's alias: **Jonathan Hawkins**- Relating to the fact that Jimmy's life was similar to Jim Hawkins' (from Treasure Planet), 'Hawkins' relates to Silver's rebellious attitude and how he used to deal with Jimmy.

Jimmy's alias: **Koga Yokai- **Koga is a character from the anime, Inuyasha, who happens to be a yokai (wolf-demon). Considering Jimmy was part-wolf, this alias fit him best… despite that Koga doesn't have wolf-ears or a tail.

Radio's alias: **Ichigo Mew- **Derived from the character from Tokyo Mew Mew, Ichigo is also a girl who changes into a cat whenever she is kissed, and sprouts cat-ears and a tail whenever she gets excited… just like Radio. Izzy, too, has this ability, though she keeps her new form while Radio's curse is finally broken after marrying Jimmy.

Rudy's alias: **Eirie Yuki**- He is a character in the anime, Gravitaion, who was also a homosexual and romance novelist, though Rudy and Yuki both have different personalities… so maybe Rudy should've been called "Shuichi Shindo", another character from the series, since they're more alike. Oh well.

Danny's alias: **Yuri Shibuya- **The protagonist from the anime, Kyo Kara Maoh!, who is also a prince who finds his duties hard, and ends up engaged to another man (though Yuri's engagement was purely accident). It fits Danny well, since in the anime Yuri is part demon (Maoh) having two different personalities, while Danny is dueling with himself about whether he truly loves Rudy or not… and both of them finding the monarchy world hard to deal with.

Derek and Drake's aliases: **Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachin- **From Ouran High School Host Club, Drake and Derek practically ARE Hikaru and Kaoru (except without the 'brotherly love' relationship). They love to joke around and look out for each other, and seeing the anime twins practically inspired Drake and Derek's personalities.

Izzy's alias: **Karin Maaka- **She's a character from Chibi Vampire, who's a vampire with a nosebleed problem… only Izzy is a vampire who changes into a cat. They're both opposite in personalities, though.

Bartholomew's alias: **Fakir Fakia- **a character from Princess Tutu, who is possessive, rude and forceful (like the way Bartholomew is toward Rudy). 'Fakia' is another way to say his name. Though in the story he relates more to The Raven from the anime, rather than Fakir.

And there you go.


End file.
